RosarioVampire Death of a Dream
by Alhazad2003
Summary: With Tsukune missing and the academy's fate uncertain, the girls pursue Dracula's followers into a whole new world. Part II of the Baddest Blood trilogy. Part II Chapter XVII up.
1. Part II Chapter I

A/N Hello everyone. Wow, hard to believe my first fic on did so well. Over 26,000 hits, and deemed a Favorite Story by 65 avid readers, not counting several other alerts. Thanks to everyone who've clearly enjoyed this fic and made it such a success. That's what's most important. And what better way to celebrate 4th of July than with the first chapter in the next story in our trilogy. Hope everyone celebrates the holiday weekend in style.

And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. They are the licensed properties of their licensed owners. So, without further ado, on with the next chapter of our epic saga.

Part II Chapter I  
Dreams of Brokenness

Yukari groaned weakly as the darkness before her faded away. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, and saw herself looking up at a familiar ceiling. She quickly sat up, and looked about to find herself in a familiar chamber. A bookcase was situated on the wall ahead of her, all but bursting with tomes. She found herself on a large, soft bed, which she remembered by heart. "This is, my bedroom," she spoke to herself, as she still tried to comprehend what had occurred. She looked beside her, and saw her nightstand, upon which lied her favorite antique lamp. "But, how did I get here, desu?"

At that moment, the door that led outside opened, and two figures walked in. One was a woman covered in a full-length chocolate brown cloak, and a matching pointed hat upon her head of light brown hair. Her companion had dirty blonde hair, and a well-trimmed mustache. He wore a green sweater over his white dress shirt and tie. Long gray slacks covered his legs, and leather shoes adorned his feet.

The young girl gasped as she recognized the newcomers. "Mama-san, Papa-san," she remarked as she looked between them. "What's going on, what am I doing back home? Where are the others?"

Fujiko and her husband looked to one another, and then to their daughter. They light shook their heads.

"What," Yukari asked, "I'm the only one here? No! I'm supposed to be at the academy! We were fighting Colton and then Tsukune-san came and-" Her eyes went wide as she recalled what happened in the battle, when the brown-haired youth was felled by a blow meant for Moka. "No!" she wailed. "Tsukune-san! He can't be gone! He can't be!" She began to sniffle, as tears streamed from her violet eyes.

The elder Sendos quickly came to her side and held her gently. The young witch cried into her mother's shoulder, horrified at the thought that her precious friend was dead. Fujiko opened her cloak and produced a lavender handkerchief, which she used to dry her daughter's tears. Yukari looked to her, and hugged her tightly for several moments, which she felt being returned. Once she did, she knew it wasn't an illusion, and relaxed she she was comforted by her mother's aura.

Her father simply smiled at her as he lightly rubbed her shoulder. With his free hand, he gestured towards the door. His wife looked to him, nodded and then smiled at her daughter.

"What," the young witch asked, "we have a guest today?" She looked between the two of them, shocked that anyone would've visited them due to their isolation. It also piqued her curiosity, and she brushed off the rest of her tears. "Okay, let's meet him, or, is it a her?"

The parents chuckled to themselves, helped Yukari to her feet, and opened the door. She followed into the spacious living room, which was already warmed by the fire lit in the hearth. Once she entered, she saw an unfamiliar figure in one of the plush recliners. It was situated at an angle away from her, so she could've only made out some gleaming ivory hair, as well as matching clothes. The figure raised its left hand, which held a decently-sized pocket watch.

"Right on time," the figure spoke in a mysterious voice, "I've been waiting for you, Yukari Sendo," he finished as he rose from his chair and faced the young witch.

The child prodigy gasped as she saw the guest fully. He wore a gleaming white suit with upturned lapels, as well as matching pants. His white hair was somewhat unruly, though it seemed of little concern to him. He wore a simple monocle over his right eye, the only noteworthy feature on his otherwise unimpressive countenance.

"Who are you," Yukari asked, "how do you know my name, desu?"

"I am called Aeon," the newcomer replied, "I have come in response to the anomaly at the academy, as well as your newly found interest in time."

The brunette did a double-take, shocked at what the man had relayed. "H-h-h-how did you know?"

"It is my business to know anything concerned with time. In light of the current circumstances, it seemed best to meet you directly on the matter."

Yukari hummed to herself, and briefly looked to her parents behind her. After a few moments, she looked back to the newcomer. "It's true," she finally began. "So much happened so fast, there was barely any time to make sense of it. We really did try our best, but it didn't seem to be enough. I just, I wish I could've done more to help everyone, especially Moka-san and Tsukune-san." She sighed to herself and lowered her gaze. "I'd thought if I could've seen Colton's intentions from the start, I could've prevented this whole mess. Then no one would've gotten hurt. I just, feel so ashamed now that I ever admired him, and now, all my friends." She sniffled to herself, too distraught to complete her sentence.

The stranger in the white suit said nothing in response.

"But it seemed so far-fetched," the young witch continued, "having power over time. Even I didn't think it was possible, until I met Saint Germain."

Aeon's indiscernible gaze fluctuated for a moment. "You have seen him?"

"Yes, he appeared at the academy. He said he was looking for a man named Zead, to stop him causing any trouble here."

"How curious," the white-haired man remarked as he thoughtfully held his chin. "He disappeared a few years back while investigating a temporal anomaly."

"Disappeared," the surprised child prodigy asked. She thought back to her encounter with Saint Germain. "Oh wait, I remember now, desu."

"_Oh, and before I forget,_" the image of the time traveler spoke in her mind, "_if someone looking like me asks you if you'd met anyone that matches his description, tell him, 'yes.' And if he asks why I was here, it was to corral Zead and bring him back where he belongs. Yes, he'll probably debate the issue, but do try to patient. He'll definitely understand what that rapscallion has wrought._"

Yukari then relayed her encounter with the newcomer, and became wary as she noted his expression darkened noticeably.

"This is very serious," Aeon spoke sternly. "Interaction between parallel dimensions is strictly forbidden. And for a time traveler to commit such a felony, the consequences are most severe."

"But it's not his fault!" the brunette retorted defensively. "If it wasn't for Colton, he wouldn't have come here, desu!"

"I am not discounting your testimony," the enigmatic man replied. "Nevertheless, the laws of time have been broken. Action must be taken in order to correct the imbalance that's been created, and the offenders must be dealt with accordingly." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Time is a vast and complex entity, which requires an eternity of diligence to understand, even more so to oversee. The smallest mistake, regardless of the intent, can lead to the most dire of consequences. Knowing this, would you still be interested in knowing time?"

"Yes!" the child prodigy declared. "Anything to help my friends! I don't want to see anyone else get hurt, desu!"

Aeon nodded sagely. "Very good, Yukari Sendo. Though the path of time is without end, understanding it will be beneficial for the trials yet to come. Whether you wish to continue the path afterwards is up to you." He reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out a small object.

The small girl looked to his hand, and saw what appeared to be an earring, which comprised of two small pincers, and a miniature clock face as the centerpiece. "What's this," she asked curiously.

"Though it seems but a mere accessory, consider it a symbol of your walk through time. You shall discern its purpose as you go down the path."

"Yay! This is so cool, desu!" Yukari declared happily, as she pumped her small fists. She then claimed the earring, and held it between her fingers.

Her father looked to his wife with a strange look, and she pouted in response. She waved her wand behind her back, and a washing basin crashed down onto her spouse, which drove him into the floor. The white-haired man watched the comical scene, an unreadable expression on his ageless face.

"Thank you so much, Aeon-san," the sophomore spoke gratefully. "I promise to wear this always, desu."

"That is good to hear, young one. I look forward to our next meeting, somewhere within the vastness of time."

Suddenly, the entire room was filled by a blinding white aura, and everything before Yukari disappeared.

* * *

Mizore groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. She found herself upon a very cold marble floor, and felt a familiar chill in the air about her, along with a powerful yet restrained youki. With a weary groan, she pushed herself off the floor. "Where am I," she asked, a trace of confusion in her voice. "Am I, dead?"

"Not at the moment," a mature woman's voice spoke from nearby, though her pleasantness held a veiled threat within it, "let's hope it doesn't come to that, shall we, Mizore-chan?"

The yuki onna gasped and instantly got to her feet. She found herself in a huge chamber, outlined by high marble walls, with icy decorations on the floor and ceiling. Her blue eyes looked in the direction of the familiar voice, and saw a comely woman who stood nearby a golden throne. She had a modest figure, garbed in a full-length snow white kimono, with a purple sash around her waist. Her long silvery blue hair was done up with several pins. Her slender hands were folded in front of her, and she wore a warm smile on her pale face, as she held a frozen lollipop between her lips. She would've appeared very composed and mature, save for the massive killing intent Mizore felt beneath the surface, which she knew was directed right at her. "Haha-ue," she finally spoke, a mixture of respect and fear in her voice.

"Mizore-chan," the older woman began in a frighteningly sweet voice, "my lovely, adorable, dutiful daughter," she went on, as her right hand became a huge icy claw, "please, tell me our illustrious overseer is mistaken in the visions she's had of Tsukune-san. Tell me you've already ensnared him and made him your own. You do realize the fate of our people is at stake, don't you? Please, Mizore-chan," she continued, as she wiggled her elongated icy talons, "I am eagerly awaiting the good news of your glorious success. I was quite annoyed that you interfered with our plans to obtain Tsukune-san a couple of weeks back, and I _do_ want to know it was an oversight on your part, and you've since corrected it. I am looking forward to the grandchildren you and Tsukune-san will give me."

The purple-haired girl couldn't stop trembling in her mother's presence. She was glad Tsurara hadn't brought any of her weapons with her, and though she was quite sure the Snow Priestess would've prevented such an occurrence, she also wouldn't put anything past her mother, especially in light of the current circumstances.

"You have captured his heart, have you not," Tsurara asked, as her talons twitched randomly, "please tell me it's all a big misunderstanding and there's nothing to fear."

Mizore cringed in response, as she found plenty to fear at the moment. However, she knew she couldn't hide the truth indefinitely, so she mustered what courage she still possessed. "No, Haha-ue."

A blinding blizzard shot forth from the dubiously composed woman, as her eyes bore an icy glow. "What were you thinking?" she demanded. "If you hadn't interfered, Tsukune-san would already be ours! Then he wouldn't be in any danger, hadn't you thought of that, Mizore-chan?"

The purple-haired girl shivered as she tried to shield herself against her mother's fury.

"Tsurara, stop!" a second woman's voice spoke sharply through the blizzard. "This is not the reason she was called here!"

After a few seconds, the freak snowstorm subsided, and the elder yuki onna sighed, lowered her head, and closed her eyes in remorse. "Yes, Priestess-sama."

Mizore cautiously looked past her mother, and saw a large crystalline throne behind her, with a regal figure upon it. Even though it was the first time she'd seen the person in question, she knew everyone in her village knew the individual by heart. Without another thought, she bowed in reverence to the sage woman on the throne.

"Great Priestess," the sophomore girl began, as her eyes shimmered in confusion, "what am I doing here?" She briefly inspected herself, and saw no sign of the deadly gashes she'd received in the dreadful battle. "How am I still alive," she asked her ruler, "I thought, Colton had killed me back there."

"Your presence here is no accident, Mizore Shirayuki," the crystal-haired woman spoke sagely. "You were summoned by Fate to receive the prophecy that shall guide the journey of the Five Maidens."

"Journey," the purple-haired girl asked with a baffled expression, "five maidens? What are you talking about?"

"It's alright if you don't yet understand, all I ask of you is to capture what I shall relay to you now. It shall be necessary to assist he who lives forever in your thoughts."

Mizore was still bewildered, but as she contemplated on her leader's last words, her blue eyes widened as she inhaled sharply. "Tsukune."

"Ah, you to understand," the oracle replied with a sage smile. "Then listen well to the words of the prophecy."

"Yes, Priestess-sama," the younger Shirayuki replied with a courteous nod.

The overseer of the yuki onna race slowly nodded. "The first stop of the journey of the Five Maidens shall be the House of Apostasy," she began in a mysterious voice, "where division shall rule the day. From there, they shall enter into the reflection of our world, where the evil ones reside. They shall be confronted by the lost lineages, who still fiercely battle in the war we have forgotten. From there, they shall watch as the First One's dream is again reduced to ruins, though from it the hero's legacy will be saved. Then, they shall journey to the Cursed Lands, where they shall meet the Conflicted Ones. Then together, they shall go forth to the Old House of Darkness, where Those Who Desire the Resurrection shall gather."

The sophomore groaned inwardly, as she wished she'd brought a pen and paper with her. However, she remembered she was barely alive after she and her friends were defeated by Colton. Though she was still uncertain about her current circumstances, she took note of the prophecy, especially the last part. "Those who desire the resurrection," she spoke aloud, as she remembered the phrase from Moka's story about her seventh birthday, "you mean Dracula's followers?"

An inhuman shriek came from the supposedly composed priestess, as a powerful blizzard shot from her mouth.

"Oh crap!" the purple-haired girl spoke fearfully. "Don't tell me we have that law, too!"

"Mizore-chan!" her mother called out over the storm. "What have you done?"

"I'm sorry, Haha-ue!" the younger girl shouted, and then turned to her raging overseer. "Please, Priestess-sama, forgive me!"

The freak snowstorm turned inward, until it became like a vortex of subzero energy. It then condensed further until it formed a small amorphous shape, with several tendril-like arms and a comical-looking yet clearly evil visage. Mizore shivered, as she noted the room had grown much colder when the apparition made itself known.

"_I am the spirit of this realm,_" the spectral figure began in a voice that sounded like a hollow winter's gale, "_Jack Frost. Tell me, child, what was that name you spoke?_"

The younger Shirayuki tried hard not to tremble in the spirit's presence, as she felt his aura far surpassed that of the Snow Priestess. She'd thought Jack Frost was just a legend, and never gave the issue any real consideration. But as she pondered the issue, she realized she also thought the cruel vampire lord who sent Colton to the academy was also a legend, only to find out very differently. She instinctively wrapped her arms around herself as she regarded the newcomer. "Dracula," she finally spoke.

The ghostly figure laughed in amusement, which sent a chill down Mizore's spine. "_Very good, at last we have a name for He who struck down the First One's dream. This simplifies matters greatly._"

"You can't be serious!" Tsurara nervously protested. "There's no such thing as Dracula, the humans made him up!"

"He's real, Haha-ue!" the purple-haired girl shot back. "We fought him at the academy! He's after Tsukune!"

The elder yuki onna gasped in response, as a horrified expression appeared on her pale face. "Tsukune-san?"

A chilling laugh came from Jack Frost. "_How amusing, all this carnage and chicanery for but a mere boy? Such audacity, were he not a threat to my domain, I could almost admire him. He definitely pursues his goals wholeheartedly. Yes, this definitely explains the vision._"

"What are you saying," Mizore asked warily.

"_You wish to know, child,_" the spirit asked with a devious smile. "_In that case, you shall have the honor, of guiding the maidens into the reflection of our world._"

"Whoa, hold on!" the reluctant academy student protested. "I never said anything about being a demon's plaything. How do I know you're any different from Dracula?"

"_Oh, come now,_" the apparition replied in clearly feigned indignation, "_you act like I can't be trusted. That wounds me deeply._"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Mizore quipped sarcastically.

"_You do want to rescue he who lives forever in your thoughts, do you not?_"

"That's not fair," the purple-haired girl replied with a cold scowl.

"_Fair or not, fail to heed the call of destiny, and the boy shall be lost to you,_" the spirit spoke with a sinister grin, "_forever._"

"How dare you!" Tsurara interjected, an incensed look on her pale face.

"_This is not your decision to make,_" the ghostly figure spoke reproachfully as he pointed towards her, though his eyes remained on Mizore. "_Do not interfere._"

The yuki onna grimaced in frustration, as her hands shook by her sides. As much as she'd come to despise the foul being before her, she saw no means of refuting his claims. And since he emerged from the Snow Priestess' ire, she wondered about the actual connection he had with her. Though her heart screamed against the proposition, she realized she had few if any plausible alternatives. She mustered her courage and exhaled a chilling breath. "Fine, you win."

Frost emitted a nasty giggle. "_Splendid, then receive the Eye of the prophecy, which shall guide you and your 'heroic' comrades._" He raised a tendril-like arm, and placed his spectral hand on the dubious-looking youkai's forehead. He then channeled his immense youki into her, and watched as the purple-haired girl screamed.

"Mizore-chan!" the kimono-clad woman called out, fearful of what the snow demon had planned for her daughter. Once the surge of energy subsided, she watched in horror as her only child groaned weakly and collapsed on the floor, as a glowing sigil appeared on her forehead.

"_It is done,_" the spirit spoke in a satisfied tone as he looked to the comatose girl. "_The guide has been ordained. You shall be our eyes and ears as you travel beyond this world, and journey towards the Old House of Darkness. Much hardship and sorrow awaits you on your adventure, as the fate of both our worlds hang in the balance. And before I forget, have a nice day._"

Mizore lapsed into unconsciousness, as the last thing she head was the sadistic laughter of Jack Frost.

* * *

A cyan-haired girl drifted aimlessly with a great void of darkness, devoid of any sounds of feelings. Only a great emptiness surrounded the comatose girl, wholly unaware of what did or didn't occur around her.

"Awaken, Kurumu Kurono," a sultry yet grave woman's voice spoke within the darkness.

The incognito succubus gasped as her violet eyes came open. Once they did, the darkness faded away, and revealed a grand audience chamber. The sound of flowing water was heard in the back of the chamber. The sophomore looked about, and saw a long velvet carpet that ran to a somewhat high dais. At the base of the dais, standing off to the left, was a tall woman in a luxurious black fur coat, which sparkled like a clear starry night. Underneath her coat was a strapless red dress, which tightly hugged her curvaceous form. Her usually breathtaking features were wrought with uncharacteristic concern, as she casually blinked her violet eyes.

"Kaa-san," the cyan-haired girl remarked, and knew she'd never seen such a serious look on her mother's face.

Kurumu briefly examined herself, and was startled when she found no wounds upon her person. She even felt no pain to remind her of the grievous wound Colton had given her before she fell. She wasn't sure if she was alive or dead, if she was merely dreaming, or had passed on. She shook her confused thoughts aside, and looked towards the dais, and then up to the great throne that sat upon it. On the ruling seat was a regal woman in a long silk velvet dress, which clung to her truly divine form. The young girl had always felt inadequate when she regarded her mother, but as she looked to the personage on the throne, her feelings of inferiority were magnified, for the regal woman surpassed her mother in seemingly every area. Ageha had told her stories about their queen, but they always seemed like fantasies to her. The very notion that their queen truly existed seemed absurd, yet she couldn't deny the reality she beheld. Her breathing became very nervous, as she held her clenched fist to her chest. "O Exquisite Lilith," she spoke reverently as she bowed her head, "Mother of All Succubi."

"Approach me, young one."

The young youkai nervously rose to her feet and walked forwards. She was quite intimidated by her mother's presence, who she knew would've been irate when she learned of what occurred. But the thought of giving account to the ruler of her race truly terrified her. She stopped near the dais, and Ageha promptly approached her.

"Explain yourself, Kurumu Kurono," the elder succubus demanded. "What has happened to Tsukune-san? Tell me our illustrious queen is mistaken!"

The cyan-haired girl gasped in response, fearful of what her mother might've known. "Wh-what has she told you, kaa-san?"

Ageha deeply frowned, visibly displeased for still unknown reasons. "That your Mate of Fate has become some sort of demon. What were you thinking," she demanded, as she leaned threateningly towards her daughter, who timidly backed away. "If you'd only taken him outside that castle, none of this would've happened!"

"If she had," the regal succubus interjected, "both she and Aono-san would be dead."

The Kuronos gasped in unison and looked to their ruler, wide-eyed in fright and disbelief.

"H-h-how do you know that, Lilith-sama," Ageha asked fearfully, an emotion she rarely displayed.

"I know the master of that castle only tell well," the succubus queen replied with a brooding scowl. "I'm amazed Issa Shuzen let a human into his domain unharmed. I would've expected him to slay him on the spot, doubtlessly he now wishes he had."

Kurumu shivered at the name her sovereign mentioned. She knew it was Kokoa's last name, as well as Moka's before her exile. Though she'd never met him, the legends of elder vampires were well-known to her people, and even to the present day, mere mention of them brought feelings of deep-seated fear. She had no idea the castle had belonged to Moka's father, and judging by her ruler's obvious contempt for him, she was glad they never met.

"No!" the elder Kurono protested, which interrupted her daughter's train of thought. "Tsukune-san must not die! He is my daughter's Mate of Fate, I won't let anything happen to him."

Lilith slowly turned her surprisingly stoic gaze to her subject. "Even if he's the reincarnation of Count Dracula," she asked pointedly.

The cyan-haired girl all but screamed in horror, as her violet eyes became as wide as dinner plates.

"That's absurd!" Ageha shot back. "There's no such thing as Dracula, those stupid vainglorious vampires made him up! It's bad enough they act like they're the supreme life-forms on this world, but to think up something so ludicrous in order to further inflate themselves? T'ch," she quipped dismissively as she ran her long fingers through her luxurious cyan hair, "but why am I surprised? An ego that big always has to be fed."

"This is more than a matter of unrealistic self-worth," the succubus queen countered, "the threat of Dracula is very real." She then turned to the younger girl before her. "And if the mistakes of the past are repeated, it will undoubtedly lead to our extinction. Dare you risk that, Kurumu Kurono?"

The academy student gasped fearfully at what her liege had relayed. "Extinction? What are you talking about, Lilith-sama? How do you know him?"

The seemingly divine youkai somberly bowed her head, as a haunted look appeared in her amethyst eyes.

"Your Salaciousness," Ageha asked nervously, taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor.

After several long moments, the voluptuous ruler looked to the Kuronos, a frighteningly grave expression on her usually exquisite face. "If you truly wish to know what befell our people, I shall show you. But," she spoke firmly, as she raised her slender index finger, "under _no_ circumstances shall you relay this to anyone."

Kurumu quickly nodded in agreement, as she recalled Moka had made similar terms before she revealed her most painful secret. "Yes, Most Desirable One."

"Yes, my Queen," her mother added.

Lilith slowly nodded her head. "Then watch," she spoke, as she majestically rose from her throne, "and learn."

A soft yet powerful lavender aura surrounded the demon queen. The cyan-haired girl gasped as she sensed the immense power of her ruler, which far surpassed any she'd encountered save for Mikogami, Colton, and Dracula. She watched as the air shimmered before her, and then looked on in awe as the phenomenon filled the entire room. The beauty and grace of Lilith's chamber grew dark and foreboding, and Kurumu cringed as she felt a malefic aura about her. She looked to her mother, who was also shocked at what she witnessed. Though she surmised it was an illusion, she'd never seen one cast on such a grand scale. She actually found herself shivering at the radically-altered aura of the room.

The Kuronos soon found themselves in a massive, gothic chamber, which held none of the splendor of Lilith's inner sanctum. The walls were lined with high archways supported by black marble columns, with demonic visages carved upon them. Ageha noted a couple of the columns had crumbled, their remains strewn about the black marble floor. A long blood red carpet stretched forward towards the end of the room, which was enshrouded by darkness. A great sense of foreboding came over them as they looked towards the darkness, and Kurumu instinctively clung to her mother.

"Kaa-san," the cyan-haired girl spoke timidly, "I'm scared!"

The elder succubus returned her embrace. "I know, darling, but we must go forward, and discover what Lilith-sama wants us to know."

The sophomore quickly nodded, though she still trembled in her mother's grasp. They went towards the darkness. As they did, the way forward became visible. The younger Kurono warily looked back, and saw nothing but darkness behind her. She tried in vain to suppress her fears and cried out, and her voice echoed throughout the desolate hall. Ageha tightened her grip in order to soothe her frightened daughter, though she found herself shivering as well. Never before had she felt such overwhelming evil. As she pushed her senses into the darkness ahead, she felt a far more malefic evil within. Though fearful of what lied ahead, she led herself and her daughter forward.

They finally reached the back of the long hall. Once they did, they beheld an immense demonic-looking bat statue, with glowing red eyes and huge fangs that actually dripped blood. It enormous wings spanned the width of the entire hall. Embedded in the statue's belly was a massive golden throne, with a winged skull decoration on the very top. Upon the throne was a massive being, too large to have possibly passed for human. The figure was clad in a long black coat with blood red lapels. Underneath was a black vest, bound at the waist by a crimson sash. His crossed legs were covered by night black trousers, with leather boots on his feet. A night black cloak, with a crimson interior, covered his entire form. In the figure's right hand was a crystal wineglass, filled with a bright crimson liquid. He absently took a sip from it, as he rested his head on his left hand. His deathly pale face was framed with long white hair, which ran down past his shoulders. Ageha couldn't help but tremble, as she'd never seen such a brooding face before, and also knew the indescribably evil aura she'd sensed came from the being on the throne.

Kurumu's violet eyes went wide, and she covered her open mouth with her left hand. "No," she said to herself, "it can't be."

The elder succubus looked questioningly at her daughter, though she feared she already knew the answer. She then looked ahead, and saw a prostrated figure before the vile throne of darkness. The figure was clad in a lavender gown, her entire form nearly covered by her wealth of indigo hair. From her back emerged a massive pair of purple demonic wings. Ageha gasped in horror at what she'd just beheld. "Lilith-sama," she asked fearfully.

"O mighty Count Dracula," the genuflecting demon spoke reverently, "verily dost I commit mineself and mine children to thee."

Both Kuronos were thunderstruck at what they heard, and cried out in unison. Despite that, there was no indication that they'd been heard.

The ominous figure on the throne lazily blinked his burning red eyes, as he took another sip from his wineglass. "Hmm, your selfless devotion pleases me, Lilith," he spoke in a foreboding voice. "Arise."

The succubus queen slowly rose to her feet. Once she did, the vampire lord also rose. Ageha and Kurumu gasped at how diminutive their leader appeared before the immense form of Dracula. They watched as the towering figure raised his left hand towards her.

"Yes," the sinister overlord remarked as his hand lowered, until it stopped near Lilith's flat stomach. "You shall serve me well. From your womb shall spring forth a new race of succubi, who shall feast on the souls of the worms who dare oppose me."

The voluptuous youkai smiled, and reverently bowed her head as she took hold of his hand. "I am honored to have gained thine favor, Lord Dracula."

The nefarious vampire threw his head back, as he laughed in unholy delight.

"_**NOOOOOOO!**_" the younger Kurono screamed as she raced towards the pair.

"Kurumu, stop!" Ageha desperately called out.

Just as the cyan-haired girl reached out towards her ruler, the entire area began to waver, as reality became distorted once more. The sinister aura of Dracula's throne room dissipated, along with the ominous chamber. In its place was the more familiar and peaceful form of the audience chamber of the Palace of Pulchritude.

Ageha looked ahead to her ruler, as feelings of rage, confusion, and disbelief welled up within her. "Lilith," she began in a vicious growl, "you didn't!"

"I did," the succubus queen spoke in a self-deprecating tone, "and because of my folly, our race was nearly driven to extinction. Should that mistake be repeated, we shall not be so fortunate."

"What do you mean," Kurumu nervously asked her liege.

"After Dracula was destroyed by the Three Dark Lords, the Third unleashed his wrath upon those who had followed his archenemy. Needless to say, this included us. We were quickly driven from Romania, and fled to this country to escape his wrath. It was only the interference of the First that prevented our complete eradication." A deep sigh escaped the benevolent ruler. "However, the Third soon came to this country as well, and his presence has put our race in a constant state of anxiety. He never forgets a grudge, or those who defies him, either knowingly or otherwise." She looked away for a moment, as a sad look appeared in her amethyst eyes. "Fortunately, the presence of the First has kept him in check, for the most part. But should anything happen to him, and should our race ever become part of Dracula's kingdom again, he won't hesitate to finish what he started."

"The First," the young succubus asked, "you mean-"

"The First Dark Lord," Lilith explained, "Mikogami."

Kurumu painfully grimaced, as she recalled what happened to the chairman.

"And the Third," Ageha asked with a concerned look.

"Shuzen," the regal youkai replied with a deep scowl.

Both Kuronos looked fearfully at one another.

"I have no doubt he's become aware of this situation," the succubus queen continued, as her gaze turned to the cyan-haired girl. "Be warned, he'll be watching you, Kurumu Kurono."

"Why my daughter," the elder Kurono asked with a stern look.

"Because she's already been touched by the Dark One. Should she submit to him wholly, that will be just the excuse Shuzen needs. I assume you can already guess what will follow."

"Hold on!" Kurumu protested. "I haven't been touched by him. How can you-" She paused as she remembered what happened in the dungeon, and realized what her ruler had meant. "No, no you're wrong!" she wailed. "Tsukune is not Dracula!"

"Is this the one you mean," Lilith asked, as she held out her slender hands, which glowed with a soft velvet aura. The air shimmered before her, and then displayed the image of a brooding man, hovering high above the fallen figure of a barely alive kitsune. The man held a huge sphere of negative energy overhead, as his eyes glowed with a blazing crimson aura.

The cyan-haired girl gasped as she recognized the man, and yet, at the same time, he seemed frighteningly unfamiliar. She'd never seen such an evil look on his face, and never believed it even existed within him. "Tsukune," she asked nervously.

"_**GIGA DEMONIC MEGIDDO!**_" the image of the formerly human student shouted as he hurled down the sphere, which collided with the ground and resulted in a titanic explosion of evil energy, which demolished a ruined building nearby. Kurumu looked on in horror as he laughed in maniacal ecstasy.

"No!" the sophomore girl cried out. "Stop! Tsukune!" The image quickly faded, and the teenage youkai was mortified by what she'd witnessed. She fell to her knees, as tears streamed down her heart-shaped face. "Tsukune, no!"

"Kurumu," Ageha spoke sadly, as she knelt down beside her daughter and held her in a comforting embrace. She saw her only child was almost lost in despair, and then looked hopelessly to her ruler. "Lilith-sama, tell me there's a way to prevent this. Tell me how we can save Tsukune-san!"

The voluptuous ruler somberly lowered her head, and closed her sparkling amethyst eyes. "If you wish to save our race, then your daughter must journey to his morbid domain, which lies far from our land. Our fate shall be decided, within those castle walls."

The cyan-haired girl gasped lightly as she looked to her benevolent leader. She watched as the queen's hand closed around her rose brooch, and then small beams of lavender light shot from within. She pulled her hand forward, and her cloak fell from her body. She quickly caught the end with her free hand.

"Lilith-sama, what are you doing," Ageha asked worriedly. "That's your symbol!"

"She has already been marked by Dracula, it is pointless to deny her now. Even if we were to hide her within our village, he would still find her. I cannot allow our people to be threatened by him again. So it lies to your daughter to fight against his insane ambitions, lest they consume this world."

Kurumu looked to the queen's hand, and saw the crystalline brooch within. "But, Lilith-sama, I'm still just a child compared to you. I'm not worthy," she admitted shamefully.

The exquisite youkai knelt down before the cyan-haired girl. "Nor was I," she spoke softly. "But hopefully, as you travel to his realm, you will be."

The younger Kurono gasped at what she'd just heard. "What do you mean?"

"I cannot explain that now, you shall come to understand on your journey." The long-haired woman then gave her a stern look. "But be warned, Shuzen knows well of its significance, avoid him at all costs. He is no more an ally to you than Dracula."

The sophomore hissed fiercely to herself, for after what she'd learned about the ancient vampire lord, she didn't doubt her queen's warnings. "Yes, Lilith-sama."

"Very good, young Kurumu," the demon ruler spoke with a pleased smile. "Then it falls to you to fight for our survival, within that Old House of Darkness." The hand that held her brooch moved forward, until it pressed against the cyan-haired girl's chest. No sooner than it did that everything became consumed in a blinding white light.

* * *

Ruby found herself in an unfamiliar forest, filled with bodies and the screams of the dying. She saw the fallen forms of countless youkai, many of which weren't native to Japan. The scent of blood was everywhere, as black smoke covered the skies above, which made it impossible to determine the time of day. She felt several malicious intents in the area, which clashed against one another. She produced her wand, as she feared she'd come to a battlefield of sorts.

Suddenly, she felt a powerful blast of youki close by. Though it disappeared as quickly as it had manifested, she was shocked by the amount of power she felt. She quickly estimated it was around the same level as Mikogami, though it was far more menacing.

"[Simon!]" a woman's pained voice cried out from the same direction.

Ruby quickly headed towards the disturbance, and found a fallen figure on the ground, clad in a blood-stained light blue robe, bound around the being's slender waist by a nondescript sash. Though greatly wounded, the figure, who Ruby quickly identified as a woman, had a strong magic aura, very similar to her own. The young witch watched as the stranger struggled to lift herself off the ground, as she used her masterfully carved staff as a support.

"No!" the dark-haired woman called out as she knelt by her side. "You're wounded, lie still and let me help you!"

The unknown woman slapped her hand away, and rose to her knees, as her long blonde locks fell into her face. "[Get away from me!]" she snapped. "[I must find Simon!]"

The chairman's assistant was baffled. Clearly the stranger spoke in a foreign language she'd never heard, which made communication difficult. Though her last words made Ruby very chagrined. "Simon, Belmont," she asked in disbelief.

The woman spun around grabbed her shoulders. "[Where is he,]" she demanded fiercely, a hateful look in her hard blue eyes. "[What have you demons done to him?]"

A massive explosion erupted nearby, followed by an agonized scream. The blonde magician quickly turned in its direction. "_**[SIMON!]**_" she cried out and hobbled away.

"Wait, come back!" the dark-haired woman cried out as he pursued the wounded woman.

They soon reached a small clearing, with a lone figure lying face down in the middle of a smoking crater, along with the bodies of several other demons. No sooner than they entered that a shadowed figure disappeared into the woods. Ruby inhaled sharply, as she sensed the same aura she'd felt before.

"_**[NOOO!]**_" the blonde woman cried out as she ran to the only humanoid figure amongst the bodies. "_**[SIIIIIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!]**_" She collapsed onto her knees as she reached the fallen warrior, and sobbed profusely.

The young witch cautiously approached the devastation before her. She saw the motionless form on a man, clad in badly damaged armor. His long blonde hair completely concealed his features. Under his armor he wore ravaged black tights, along with elbow and kneepads, which clearly had availed him not in the dreadful battle. In his gloved right hand was the handle of a long leather whip, his only visible weapon. "No," she said to herself, shocked by what lied before her, "no, it can't be."

Suddenly, the robed woman shot to her feet and spun around to face Ruby, who backed away as she felt a strong murderous intent from the witch.

"[You vile creatures,]" she began with a hateful expression, "[you had this planned all along, didn't you? You tricked Simon into trusting you, and then lured him into your trap! Now the Belmont clan is dead, _**ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!**_]" A powerful aura encompassed her form, as she tightly held her staff.

"No, stop!" the dark-haired woman cried out defensively, as she held her wand protectively in front of herself. Though she couldn't understand her words, her malicious intent told her everything.

"[I won't let it end like this,]" the incensed sorceress declared through her pain. "[I'll avenge Simon and then kill every single one of you despicable creatures!]" She gripped her staff in both hands, as her aura grew even larger and more violent. Ruby was shocked that a human could've generated such power, as she saw large fireballs swirling around, coupled with deadly shards of ice, and orbs of electricity. "_**[TRI-STORM TERROR!]**_" She raised her staff aloft, and the swirling energies shot towards the frightened witch. The dark-haired woman cringed as the fireballs stopped but inches from her and dissipated, as did the huge icicles. The orbs of lightning collided with an unseen force, crackled menacingly against it, and also dissipated. Once the attack had subsided, the wounded sorceress collapsed onto the ground.

Ruby looked on in fear and uncertainty. Though she was glad the attack hadn't reached her, she felt less than enthusiastic over the results. At that moment, she felt a powerful and familiar aura nearby. She looked behind her, and saw a tall figure in long white robes, a simple habit upon his head. His eyes glowed mysteriously as he gazed upon the young witch, who couldn't help but tremble. "Mikogami-sama," she spoke nervously.

The priest lowered his Rosario, and the barrier vanished. He walked past the dark-haired woman and stopped nearby the corpse of Simon Belmont, an unreadable look in his luminescent eyes. He then looked to the dead woman nearby, whose name Ruby never even learned. The witch breathed nervously, as she remembered what the chairman had told her in the dungeon. "_No, it can't be,_" she thought worriedly to herself, "_not Fiona Belnades!_"

The mysterious being walked back towards her, an intense look in his ominous eyes. "What has happened here," he demanded in a low voice.

The spellcaster winced at the Dark Lord's question. She had the awful feeling she'd come to the distant past, but had no idea how she'd arrived, or how to return. She knew she was in a very precarious situation, and if she'd done anything wrong, she didn't want to imagine the consequences. The young witch fidgeted even more warily, as she realized Mikogami's eyes were still upon her. She mustered her courage, and finally returned his piercing gaze. "Simon Belmont is dead," she began hesitantly. "I arrived too late to save him."

The priest looked to her for a few moments, then turned back to the fallen warriors. "A pity," he spoke in a grave voice, "though there was a chance they would've perished, I had sincerely wished otherwise. I can only hope, that once the academy is fully operational, and its mission is realized, such valor will no longer be necessary."

"Mikogami-sama," Ruby spoke sadly, for though she knew what would've happened in her time, she didn't dare speak a word.

The chairman looked down at the body of Simon Belmont. "But, this is an imperfect world," he continued. "Nothing ever goes entirely according to plan. And should we forget what has occurred here, we run the risk, however small, of repeating it." He knelt down by Belmont's side, and took hold of his whip. He then knelt down beside Belnades, and pushed back her left sleeve, which exposed a golden bracelet on her wrist. Arcane runes were carved around the circumference, in a language that was foreign to Ruby. He gently removed the article, and then rose to his feet. He walked back to the dark-haired woman, who had an anxious look on her face. "Do not forget what has happened here, the wars of the past must never be repeated."

"Yes, Mikogami-sama."

The priest gave her a solemn nod, waved his hand, and she disappeared in a flash of light.

A few seconds later, a figure in a black robe emerged from the woods. His only discernible features were his glowing white eyes, and a thin mustache. "There you are," he began in a gruff voice, "the invaders have been rounded up. We need your help to complete the seal."

"I am coming," Mikogami replied.

The newcomer looked past him, and saw the bodies on the ground. "Oh no, Belmont!" he exclaimed. "And Belnades? Who did this?"

"I have my suspicions," the robed man spoke in an offhand manner, "I shall divine the truth later, after we deal with him."

The mustached man chuckled to himself. "Pity it had to end like this, let's just hope there's no more need for heroes in the future."

"Indeed."

* * *

Moka stood imperiously in a huge chamber that appeared to have been wholly constructed out of oversized bones, with skull-shaped braziers lining the walls. Though she felt numerous gashes all over her body, she didn't feel weak. In fact, she felt incredible strength exuding from every pore of her body, and marveled at its magnitude, which far surpassed that of her counterpart.

She looked ahead, and before her was the defeated form of Pierce Colton, his bald head bowed as he remained on one knee, his breathing weak and shallow. It was then that she understood what she felt, it was the euphoria of victory over a powerful and hated foe. She found no longer dreaded combat, she'd actually come to revel in it, and finally understood what it meant to be a royal vampire.

"You have not won," the fallen servant of Dracula remarked bitterly, though there were traces of defiance and conceit in his voice. "Our lord's ascension is at hand."

The silver-haired woman looked down at her adversary, who didn't seem very intimidating to her any longer. "**Still you claim victory,**" she asked in her dual voice. "**Pathetic, to think any being could be as stubborn and unrepentant as you.**" She scowled darkly at the defeated man before her. "**Very well, cling to your delusions as you descend into the netherworld.**" She concentrated her colossal youki, which flared up around her statuesque body. "_**OHODO SHI EI!**_" she shouted as she ran towards Colton and unleashed a titanic roundhouse kick that knocked him into the side wall, which immediately crumbled under the impact.

The beaten follower staggered about aimlessly, and Moka was shocked that he was still on his feet. But as she watched, the bald man groaned in agony, as his face became a twisted mask of pain. As he writhed, his body soon caught fire, which began to burn through his tattered long coat, along with the layers of clothes underneath. The vampire's eyes widened as she saw his face slowly burned away, and revealed a twisted-looking skull. But even as his flesh was consumed by the flames, his screams grew even more inhuman and painful. Finally, he raised his skeletal arms up, and threw his skull back and emitted an ear-piercing shriek of unimaginable torment, which lasted several seconds. Once it had passed, his charred skeleton remained upright for several tense moments. Finally, it teetered forward, and crashed onto the floor in a exploding pile of broken bones.

The silver-haired regal stood solemnly as her opponent had left the mortal plane. She tried to close her hand into a fist, but found it difficult with her elongated fingers. Regardless, she brought her hand up and placed it in front of her oversized bosom, as she closed her eyes. "**It's over, Ura-chan,**" she spoke quietly, "**he won't hurt you anymore.**"

At that moment, Moka sensed the aura about her had changed. She didn't have to open her eyes to know that with Colton dead, his artificial dimension died with him. When she finally did, the super vampire found herself in a very large chamber, made out of carved stone marred by blood in several locations. A stairway led down behind her, and another led up to the west. Straight ahead was a massive set of double doors. As she neared the doors, she felt an unbelievably powerful and evil aura on the other side. Her breathing instantly became nervous, as a familiar fear arose in her heart. She was certain that it was Dracula's youki she sensed behind the doors, and paused to get her fears under control. Once she calmed herself, she walked towards the massive doors, and then bowed her head. "**I'm almost there, Ura-chan. Tonight you will be avenged.**"

Moka blinked her fierce red eyes, surprised that she could've sounded so bold under such circumstances. She became pensive, and knew her past self would've capitulated and possibly died long before that point. After her first battle with Colton, she realized she couldn't remain the same, so she embraced the power she once shunned, and vowed to use it in order to rescue Tsukune. A familiar warmth filled her heart as she thought about him, and a smile came to her pale face. She gently laid her elongated hands on the unforgiving metal doors before her. "**Hold on, Tsukune,**" she spoke softly, which sounded somewhat dubious with her dual voice, but she was well past the point of second guessing at that juncture, "**I'm coming.**"

The daiyoukai pushed on the massive double doors, and they slowly creaked open. No sooner than they did that a cold gale blew into the room from the outside. Though she felt it clearly through her less than optimal attire, she paid it no heed as she foresaw the end of her journey just ahead. Outside the doors was a very long staircase, flanked by gold banisters which were broken in some parts. The way forward rose up into the dense fog that surrounded the castle. It was so dense that she couldn't see the top, but as she looked up the stairwell, she felt a familiar stirring in her blood. Her smile became almost beaming as she felt her close friend's aura deep within the fog. "**Tsukune!**" she exclaimed, elated that he was finally within reach.

The silver-haired woman made her way up the staircase, as the cold winds blew fiercely against her exquisite form, and through her battered blouse and skirt. Even though the gale-force winds seemed to conspire themselves against her, she pushed forward, confident that victory was finally with her grasp. As she passed through the fog, she only hoped her friend would've appreciated everything she'd endured in order to find him again.

The stairwell stopped at a small tower, suspended high off the ground. Before the daiyoukai was another set of double doors, with a huge bat design carved into them. They were flanked by a pair of large braziers, alight with spectral blue flames. She laid her hands upon them, and pushed forward with her inhuman strength. The doors seemed quite obstinate to her, but they finally submitted to her unspoken command.

She found herself in a huge chamber, lined on both sides by old stone columns. In between the columns were braziers alight with spectral blue flames. High upon the ceiling was the mural of a vicious dragon assailing a woman and child. A length or blood red carpet, with golden trim, ran from the doors to the back of the room, up a small staircase that led to an elevated platform, upon which rested a familiar looking coffin.

"**Tsukune!**" Moka cried out, then stopped herself. She carefully looked about the area, as she searched for any trace of Dracula. She still felt the same aura from before, but felt no killing intent, which troubled her. "_**Where is he,**_" she thought to herself, as she walked towards the casket and scanned the area about her. She stopped near the coffin Tsukune was sealed within back at the academy, which brought back painful memories for her. She reached out, took hold of the lid and pulled back. The resistance she met told her the coffin was locked from the inside, but after everything she'd suffered up to that point, she didn't plan to be thwarted by a pine box. With a fierce growl she pulled much harder, as her tensed muscles expanded in response. After several seconds, a cracking sound came from the coffin, then a loud tearing sound, and then the lid was forcefully ripped off its hinges. She staggered back a few feet, held the lid overhead, and then cast it aside.

She ran to the side of the opened casket, where a familiar man rested within. "**Tsukune,**" the vampire princess spoke in a soft, anxious voice, as she slowly stretched out her right hand and lightly caressed his face. "**Oh Tsukune.**"

The comatose former student groaned weakly, as his face winced in pain. The female youkai watched intently, her hand still on his face. After several long seconds, the young man slowly opened his eyes. The S-class monster inhaled deeply, as her own eyes widened in anticipation. She saw a pair of brown irises stared off, framed by clear white sclera. The man's eyes looked off to the side, and then finally in her direction. "Mo, Moka-san," he asked in an uncertain voice.

"_**TSUKUNE!**_" the super vampire proclaimed happily, as she instinctively grabbed the back of his head, pulled him up and plunged his face deep into her cleavage. "**Oh Tsukune,**" she began, as she wrapped her arms around the back of the ensnared man's head, "**I was so worried when Colton took you from me. Every day without you was painful.**" She moaned lovingly as she moved Tsukune's head from side to side. "**But it's okay now, he can't hurt us anymore. I'll keep you safe and sound from now on, Tsukune,**" she concluded, as glistening tears streamed down her face.

The brown-haired youth gagged as he desperately tried to breathe. Though he knew it wasn't the first time his classmate had pulled his face into her chest, she was at least appropriately covered. At that juncture, he saw her blouse had several tears, along with dried blood. It was also opened enough so he felt her bare skin in his face. The entire experience caused a stream of blood to erupt from his nose.

The silver-haired woman felt her front had suddenly become coated with a familiar warm fluid. Before she would've winced in embarrassment. But at that juncture, she couldn't help but laugh at what had just occurred.

The former academy student felt the grip on his head, and looked back. He looked to her shirt, and noted it was stained with fresh blood. He then looked to the super monster before him, and was startled to see her laughing. "Moka-san," he asked with a bewildered look.

"**It's fine, Tsukune,**" the powerful woman spoke with a sweet smile and a tilt of her head, which caused her luxurious silver mane to fall to the side, "**it's just fine.**" Her long fingers went down and undid the remaining buttons on her blouse. Without a second thought, she pushed the article off her broad shoulders. She noticed her close friend's eyes immediately bulged at what he saw, and chuckled knowingly to herself. She then pulled each sleeve off her formerly slender arms, brought the stained shirt close to her face, and inhaled deeply. "**Ah, I've missed this scent so much,**" she spoke in a dreamy voice. She then lowered it lightly, and slowly licked off some of the blood. "**And this taste,**" she continued, as she licked the bottom of her upper row of ivory teeth, "**I've never stopped thinking about it, about you, Tsukune.**" She gave him an arch look, fully aware she was only in her bra, underwear, and skirt. Even though she held her blouse in front of her, she knew he'd already seen much of her body, and also knew what kind of effect it would've had on him. A bright blush appeared on her face, as the sight of his naked torso and the scent of his blood had the same effect on her. Her sparkling red eyes took note of a certain part of his body, and a wry smirk crossed her pale features. "**Hmm, seems you've been thinking of me as well. Quite a bit, from the looks of it.**"

"H-h-h-hey!" the flabbergasted youth retorted defensively as he instinctively covered where the vampire looked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The powerful woman laughed uproariously in response, and wasn't surprised as he heard another groan from the former student in the coffin. In the midst of her mirth, she leaned back and her arms fell by her sides, along with her blouse that she still held in her right hand. A stronger scent of blood reached her nostrils, and she didn't have to look to know the source. And since it had been so long since she'd seen him, the desire to drink his blood was overwhelming. Though as much as she wanted to quench her thirst, she didn't want to expose him to any more danger. "**Anyway,**" she finally spoke with a warm smile, as she noticed an increased blood flow from his nose, "**I'm so glad I finally found you, Tsukune.**" She walked forward, leaned towards him and wrapped her long arms around his body. "**I've missed you so much,**" she spoke softly as she dropped her blouse and held him tightly against her chest.

Tsukune was startled at first as he felt the vampire's bare skin against his own, not to mention the strength of her embrace. It reminded of more than a few fantasies he'd had about her. "I've missed you too, Moka-san," he finally replied, as he finally relaxed and returned her embrace. He couldn't help but notice how firm and defined her back had become since he last saw her. Since he'd never met any muscular women in his life, he had no opinion of the matter. However, as his hands went up and down her broad back and shoulders, he couldn't help but feel awed, as well as even more enchanted by her. Though some saw strong women as ugly and unfeminine, he felt nothing of the sort from Moka. If anything, she carried her new physique with the same grace she had before. He recalled her transformation in the dungeon long before, and saw she'd since surpassed even that level. "Moka-san, is this, is this really you?"

The tall woman released him and looked fully into his face. "**Yes, Tsukune. I know I look a lot different than you remember, but it's really me,**" she spoke softly, as her hand motioned to her chest. "**I've come all this way to bring you home, Tsukune,**" she continued, as she stroked his face with her elongated hand. "**I've wanted that, more than anything.**"

Tsukune became somewhat leery at the familiar tone her voice had taken, as well as the dreamy expression on her face. He had a strong inkling of what would've soon followed, and quickly tried to discern the means to divert her current course of action. "Moka-san, where are the others," he bravely asked, and winced as the question left his mouth, fearful of her possible reaction.

The super vampire sighed deeply and somberly lowered her head, as she closed her brilliant ruby-colored eyes. "**They're dead, Tsukune,**" she finally replied. "**Colton, killed them.**"

"No!" the former academy student protested.

Moka sniffled lightly, and brushed the tears from her eyes. "**It was so lonely without them,**" she continued sadly, "**and especially without you, Tsukune. I knew I couldn't remain the same Moka, or I'd never see you again. I had to become stronger in order to get you back, I couldn't, let their deaths be in vain.**"

"Moka-san," Tsukune replied in an awed voice.

The silver-haired woman partially opened her red eyes, as a sad smile crossed her pale features. "**But it's alright now,**" she spoke soothingly, as she wiped some of the blood from his face with her long fingers, "**Now that I've found you, I never want to be apart from you again.**" She slowly licked the blood from her fingers, and a contented sigh escaped her. "**Oh Tsukune.**"

The brown-haired man immediately became afraid as he saw her eyes glowed after she licked his blood. He noted her breathing had become more rapid, and realized the inevitability of her next action. "Wait, Moka-san, no!" he said desperately, and brought his hands forward as he tried to push her away. He soon felt a distinct softness, and saw his friend's head tilted back, as an enthralled moan escaped her. He'd hoped to push against her shoulders, but he clearly missed. His hands tentatively tightened against the soft surface, which led to more moaning from the vampire. With a chagrined look, he gazed down and found his hands on her enormous bosom. "Oh crap!" he declared.

"**Oh Tsukune,**" the silver-haired woman spoke in a breathy voice, "**Tsukune!**" Unable to contain herself any longer, she lunged forward and drove her large fangs into the crook of the brown-haired man's neck. She hungrily indulged on his vitae for several seconds, oblivious to the screams of her close friend. She hugged him even tighter in the meantime, almost lost in the pleasure of her feeding. It reminded her of the last time she was separated from Tsukune, after she sacrificed herself for the school. She'd missed his taste so badly, and wanted to indulge in it forevermore.

Her eyes shot open, as she recalled how she nearly drained him dry afterwards. The very thought brought her back to her senses, and with a great effort, she pulled her fangs from his neck. She saw the wounds her deadly incisors had made, and quickly sealed them with her tongue. The suddenly despondent vampire held him close her. "**I'm sorry,**" she began sadly, as she rubbed the back of his head with her long fingers, "**I hope I didn't scare you. I, I really thought I'd become stronger than ****that.**"

The former student sighed as he saw his friend's crestfallen demeanor. He also saw how she didn't justify her thirst, or her lack of self-control. He tightened his own grip, as he was nonetheless amazed how much stronger she'd become since they last met. "It's alright, Moka-san," he replied, trying to sound reassuring. "And, I, didn't mean to, grab you like that. I, that's not what I meant to do!"

The silver-haired woman's spirits lifted slightly, and a light chuckle escaped her. "**It's fine, Tsukune,**" she replied with a wan smile. "**As long as you're safe, that's what I care about the most.**"She ruefully shook her head, as a chagrined smile appeared on her face. Privately, she wondered how he always wound up in such predicaments when he wasn't even trying to be perverted. "_**If it was only me,**_" she thought to herself, "_**I'd be elated.**_" Her blush grew even brighter, as she realized exactly what she'd thought, and wondered how she'd become so perverted herself.

"Are you alright, Moka-san," the brown-haired youth asked in concern, as he couldn't miss the bright blush on her pale face.

"**I'll be fine,**" the vampire replied without any hesitation. "**But please, never worry me like that again,**" she continued, as she tightly held his shoulders and looked fully into his face, "**Tsukune.**"

"Moka-san," the former academy student replied.

A small smile formed on the silver-haired woman's face, as her sparkling red eyes blinked. "**Tsukune.**"

"Moka-san," the man responded, as he leaned out of the coffin.

The female vampire's smile broadened, as she felt her heart racing within her chest. "**Tsukune.**"

"Moka-san," the missing youth spoke affectionately as he took hold of her broad shoulders and leaned towards her.

"**Tsukune,**" the towering woman replied in a dreamy voice, as she slowly closed her eyes and pursed her lips together.

Suddenly, the doors behind her burst open, and a powerful youki filed the room. "Stop right there!" a stern voice commanded.

Moka immediately turned, and saw a familiar figure in a long black cloak at the far end of the room. "**Chichiu-e,**" she asked in slight confusion.

"There is no escape!" another authoritative male voice declared, as a stocky man with thick silver hair and matching beard appeared near Shuzen. "The castle is completely surrounded!"

The female vampire gasped as she recognized the man as Lord Taurnov, one of her father's associates.

Two seconds later, she watched as a third figure entered the room, clad in an extremely durable tuxedo. "Everything connected to the Devil must be destroyed!" he announced. "We, the Elder Council of Vampires, shall not allow his foul presence to desecrate this world any longer!"

All three council members simultaneously manifested their auras, and the whole room trembled forcefully. Moka grit her teeth together, and groaned in pain as the combined youki lashed against her. She used her battle-honed body as a shield to protect her close friend. But even then, the combined power of the three vampire elders drove her to her knees. She knew fighting even one of them would've been dangerous at best. The concept of battling all three was worse than suicide.

"Moka-san!" the alarmed man called out behind her.

"**Stay back, Tsukune!**" the daiyoukai commanded. "**I've come too far to lose you again!**"

"You dare defend that travesty," Shuzen growled with an incensed expression. "You would abandon your pride, your decency, your family, everything for that abomination?" he demanded hatefully, as his youki flared up even more violently. "Are you trying to make a complete mockery of me?"

"**Never! I've come to save Tsukune, I won't let you kill him, Chichiu-e!**"

"Such unabashed impudence!" Taurnov declared with a contemptuous snarl. "You would dare defy us a second time? Foolish child, you should've learned from your mother the folly of opposing us!"

"**What did you say,**" the enraged vampire replied through clenched teeth.

"I warned her, Moka!" her father called out. "I warned her there'd be consequences for trying to live outside the Council's rules! She caused this whole tragedy, her misguided ideals have led to the return of-" he paused for a moment, as his features became twisted with disgust. "_**HIM!**_" he all but screamed, as he pointed towards the man behind Moka.

"So it's up to us to correct her mistakes!" Xolor added as he released his youki. "But bear us no ill will, for we do this not out of malice, but out of duty! No one shall rejoice in your unfortunate demise!"

"**Impudent worms,**" a horrible echoing voice spoke from behind Moka, "**who are you to determine who lives and who dies?**"

The stricken daiyoukai gasped, and looked over her shoulder. Once she did, she saw a massive wave of black mist that poured from the coffin, as a towering shadowed figure arose from the darkness, with only a pair of burning red eyes as its discernible features. The youki the shadow emitted transcended her ability to gauge. "**Tsukune,**" she asked, a hint of fear in her dual voice.

"**I am the King of this world!**" the dark figure declared, as his aura pushed back against the combined power of the three elders. "**And I sentence you all to death!**"

"Oh, just try it!" Shuzen retorted defiantly, as his aura increased tremendously. "_**AOOOONOOOOOOOO!**_"

"_**NOOOOOO!**_" Moka screamed at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Moka awakened with a start, horrified by what she'd witnessed. Her frightened eyes took in the darkness that surrounded her. She found herself in a hospital bed, clad in a light gown. Due to the lack of light, she couldn't make out the color. She heard a lot of frantic voices from the hall outside, but couldn't make out anything specific. The sophomore surmised the entire annex was still bustling with activity.

She raised her head slightly, and solemnly closed her eyes as she held her cold Rosario. She recalled the dream she'd just experienced, and found herself still in shock over what she saw. A light sniffle escaped her, as she didn't want to believe the Council had orchestrated the disaster that happened on her seventh birthday, as her father had insinuated in the dream. She also didn't want to believe what he said about Tsukune, but couldn't deny what had occurred earlier, when he forcefully replaced her seal. She wrapped her arms around herself, as she remembered her encounter with Tsukune. Before then, the female vampire knew she wouldn't have considered undressing before him, or acted so seductive. She was very embarrassed, but recalled she didn't feel as such in the dream. As she thought about it, she realized she would've had to overcome many obstacles to have reached that point, and knew she would've wanted her first real friend since she left her father's castle to appreciate what she'd endured over the long journey. "Tsukune," she spoke softly to herself.

"Were you dreaming of him just now," a sad woman's voice asked from nearby.

The female youki inhaled sharply, as she suddenly realized she wasn't alone in the room. She looked to her right, and saw a familiar figure beside her. Even though she couldn't make out her features, her aura and her scent told her everything. "Haha-ue."

"Moka-chan," the former Akasha Bloodriver asked, as she held her daughter's hand, "where is he?"

The despondent vampire sighed gravely, as a lone tear escaped her eyes. "He's gone," she admitted, "Colton took him."

"Took him," her mother exclaimed silently, "where?"

"I don't know," the troubled girl replied.

Ayumu sighed gravely, as she reached out and wrapped her arms around her aggrieved daughter. "Moka-chan, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I thought-"

"No, Haha-ue," the academy student interrupted in a stern voice.

The incognito countess winced as she felt her daughter's embrace, which took her off-guard. Her green eyes went wide, as she hadn't expected such a strong grip from her child, who she believed was sealed.

"This is not your fault," the younger vampire insisted. "How dare they, how dare they do this, just to get at you!"

"Moka-chan," an uncertain Ayumu asked, confused by her demeanor. She would've expected such a reaction from her unsealed daughter, but not her surface self.

"They destroyed our family," the incensed youkai spoke in the darkness, "they ruined our lives. Is this their idea of maintaining order?" She looked fully into her mother's face, as she bared her deadly fangs. "And so help me, if they even try to blame you for what's happened here, I will never forgive them. I won't let them hurt you anymore."

The youkai attorney gasped to herself, as a light blush appeared on her face. Though she'd never taught her daughter how to fight since she left the castle, she was nonetheless touched by her vow. "Moka-chan, how do you know? I've, never told you."

The S-class monster nodded in agreement. "I saw it in my dream," she began. "He said, he warned you, not to live outside their rules."

"Issa," Ayumu replied with a brooding scowl.

Moka hissed to herself as she shook her head. "How could he do this," she asked. "How could he just stand by as they made a mockery of us, of you!" she declared quietly. "Toying with people's lives, that's no different from Dracula!"

The elder vampire inhaled sharply, as her green eyes went wide. "That's a very serious accusation," she remarked. "Don't you realize what'll happen if they become aware of you again?"

"I know," the morose girl replied, "they'll kill everyone who knows I'm alive, including you." She sniffled to herself. "But, I don't want to hide anymore, Haha-ue. All my friends are gone. Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Ruby, Tsukune, even Ura-chan!"

Ayumu gasped aloud, and quickly looked about, fearful that she'd been heard. "What's happened to her," she asked in a whisper.

"I don't know, I can't feel her anymore." She tightly gripped the Rosario, as tears ran down her face. "Tsukune," she spoke in a broken voice, still appalled at what occurred after the battle against Colton. "Tsukune!" she wailed, and clung tightly to her mother.

The incognito countess grit her teeth together as she held her daughter. A fierce look appeared in her eyes, which began to glow red. "_Tsukune,_" she thought to herself, "_if you're responsible for what's happened to my daughter, I will not forgive you. Pray we never cross paths, or you shall know the wrath of Akasha Bloodriver._" She calmed herself down, as she felt her youki had arisen slightly. She then looked to her daughter. "_Moka-chan, would you really fight for my honor? Have you finally found a reason to fight?_" She tightened her embrace, and felt her daughter had relaxed. "_Be on guard, that day may come sooner than you realize._"

* * *

Tsukune hovered in a horizontal position, surrounded on all sides by darkness. It had become an all too common occurrence to him, and it truly began to annoy him. "Where am I," he spoke in a vicious growl, "where are you, Colton!"

"So you've woken up, have you," a familiar voice spoke within the void, which echoed everywhere. "And I'd hoped you'd remain quiet for the rest of the trip."

"What can you expect from a mere human," a mature yet sarcastic woman's voice replied, "they never do as they're told. No matter, he won't be an issue for much longer."

"Who are you!" Tsukune demanded.

"My my, is that any way to speak to a lady? Hmph, such an unprincipled youth, I honestly wonder what the Master sees in you."

"Silence! Once I escape from here, I'll kill every last one of you!"

"You only wish that were possible," a second woman's voice shot back, which sounded younger and even more unrefined. "You can't get even get yourself killed, let alone anyone else. But don't worry, that'll be corrected soon enough."

"Now now, let's not give too much away," Colton interjected. "He'll realize where he stands in the Master's plans soon enough."

"Yes," the first woman replied, "so be a good girl and leave this to us. We've been at this for a very long time, the matter is in very capable hands."

"Whatever," the second woman retorted dismissively.

Tsukune growled as he struggled against the darkness. "This won't hold me forever," he growled. "I will escape, and then you will all die."

* * *

Oh crud, what a way to start the new story. What do the villains have planned for our hero? What was the purpose of those strange dreams the girls had? And just what role does the Vampire Council play in this whole fiasco?

"You don't need to know, human. Know your role and shut your mouth!"

Yeah, should've expected that. Anyway, tune in for our first omake, followed shortly by Part II Chapter II Mourning Sickness.

And before I forget, Kaa-san = "Mom"


	2. Part II Omake I

A/N Hello everyone, hope you all had a great 4th of July. Here's the first omake for the story, don't worry I'm not running out of idea, I've got plenty of them. And thanks goes to Zero-Nightmare, D-Generation XX, and Francisco Devilman Warrior for providing further inspiration, so I won't be running into writer's block anytime soon.

And I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectively. Anyway, without further ado, on with the show.

Omake I  
Fate of all Bullies

"_O little kit," an echoing sage voice spoke within a huge expanse of light, "did I ever tell you of my adventure in the Snow Maiden's village?"_

"_You've only told me this thirty-seven times!" an annoyed youth's voice shot back._

_A merry gale of laughter soon followed. "So you've been keeping track. Very good, little kit. Then, what have you learned from my adventure in the Snow Maiden's village?"_

"_That you're a perverted old fool who has too much free time on his hands!"_

_The sound of a blunt object colliding with a hard surface was heard, followed by a pained cry._

"_Again, you fail to understand the meaning of my great journey," the aged voice spoke with an audible twinge of disappointment. "One hundred laps around the temple, little kit."_

"_A hundred?" the younger voice protested. "What are you trying to do, kill me?"_

"_Less talking, more sprinting."_

_Another whacking sound was heard, followed again by a pained cry._

_The light soon faded, and revealed a decayed yet still very grand temple settled in the back of a secluded village deep within the mountainous peaks of Japan. Two great kitsune statues flanked the entrance to the temple, and a huge crest hung over the double doors that led inside. A disgruntled-looking youth ran around the perimeter of the temple, sporadically rubbing his head as his long blonde hair flowed behind him._

_Some distance from the temple, Kuyou watched the scene before him. He would've blinked in surprise, but found himself unable for some unknown reason. He also realized he couldn't feel his body. He looked to his hands, and found it somewhat translucent, and glowing with a soft aura. He then looked back to the grumbling kitsune lad, who he recognized as himself from long ago. _"I remember this place," _he spoke to no one in particular, _"this is, my home."

_The hybrid man would've inhaled sharply if he was fully material, as he realized he'd spoken out loud. He looked about the area, and saw many of the villagers, who seemed unaware of his presence. As he regarded them, a great sense of nostalgia came over him, as it had been many years since he'd been in the village._

_As he watched, the scenario changed, and he saw himself in front of the great statue in the middle of the village, a couple of years after the previous incident. Beside the younger Kuyou was a wizened kitsune, whose white hair ran down well past his shoulder blades. His face was deeply lined, and decorated with a long mustache and beard. A faded golden robe with flowing sleeves covered his aged form, bound at the waist by a rope belt, as he supported himself with his long staff. Kuyou recognized him as the elder of the village, who'd been a thorn in his side for as long as he could've remembered._

"_Ah, you've come, little kit," the ancient youkai spoke without turning from the statue, "what brings you here today?"_

_Young Kuyou scowled as he looked to the village statue. "Why must we live like this," he asked irritably. "We shouldn't have to leave in fear of those weaker beings. Humans take everything and give nothing back, they don't deserve to rule this land!" He clenched his fists by his sides. "Chichiu-e told me of the old days, how we were once worshiped as gods. And now look at us!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Cowering from those filthy vermin when we should be crushing them instead, we have the power, we just need to use it!"_

_The elder groaned in response, as it wasn't the first time he'd heard his charge's argument. "We were once worshiped as gods," he conceded, a pained sense of nostalgia in his aged voice, "but those days are long gone. The flow of the world has changed, little kit. And those who try to resist the flow, are swept away and forgotten." He looked up to the great statue, a twinge of sadness in his golden eyes. "Such a fate is befalling the formerly invincible vampire race, who felt no power could ever overcome them. Now, their arrogance has been exposed, and they are vanishing from the face of the earth."_

"_That's stupid!" the youkai lad protested. "That's no way to die! They shouldn't die unless they're crushed by a stronger race, like Chichiu-e always said!"_

_The wizened being sighed gravely. "Your father perished following those beliefs, do you truly desire to share in his fate?"_

"_I won't die," the younger form of Kuyou retorted defiantly, "I'll surpass him and crush anyone who threatens us, like those disgusting humans and those stupid vampires!"_

"_And you don't think that's any different from what your father believed?"_

_The inhuman boy balked in confusion._

"_He too believed the answer to any problem was strength," the elder explained. "He claimed he would surpass his father and accomplish what he could not in his lifetime, and that included defeating the infamous Lord Shuzen. Alas, on the day he journeyed to the Dark Lord's castle, was the last we saw of him."_

_Young Kuyou scowled as he remembered the day he learned of his father's death, and vowed to avenge him._

"_Your father was very strong," the aged kitsune continued, "but he allowed himself to become intoxicated by it. And he paid with his life. No amount of strength can ever realize an unsound ideal." He then turned fully to his charge. "Remember this lesson well, little kit. Those who live for strength always fall to a stronger foe, but those who wisely use their strength, or better still, achieve their goals without it, shall never know true defeat."_

_Unseen by anyone, Kuyou clenched his fists as he glared at the village leader. "_I've always hated you,_" he began coldly. "_Even now, after all these years, the very sight of you infuriates me. How I longed to prove you wrong, and demonstrate that strength was the one universal truth that determined all things on this world._" A bitter sigh escaped him, as he looked to the great statue. "_But now-_"_

_Before he said another word, everything faded in a blinding flash of light._

* * *

"Kuyou-kun!" a concerned woman's voice spoke urgently.

The fallen PSC commander slowly opened his eyes, and waited as his blurry vision became clear. He saw a dark-haired woman looking down at him with saddened green eyes. "Michiru," he spoke weakly, as another spasm of pain shot through his mortally wounded body.

"Kuyou-kun, hang on!" the undercover agent spoke desperately as she reached out to him.

The fallen youkai's breathing was slow and labored, as he barely found the strength to keep his eyes opened. "It's too late for me," he spoke in a pained voice, "this is my fate, the same fate my father met."

Michiru grimaced as she looked to her dying superior, and her hands shook before her.

"The Old Fox tried to warn me," Kuyou continued with a somber look in his golden eyes. "He tried to warn me, what happens to bullies. But I didn't listen," he went on, interrupted by a fit of coughing. "I thought... I knew better than him. I thought I... just had to be stronger... than everyone else... and no one would dare threaten me."

The dark-haired woman grit her teeth together, as she recalled someone else had proclaimed similar notions.

"But, I was a fool," the blonde youkai continued gravely, "and now, time has proven... the Old Fox... right."

"Kuyou-kun, don't die," the incognito shadow creature pleaded, "hold still, I'll get help for you!"

"No, Michiru," the former PSC commander protested, "it is too late. I've betrayed Mikogami, betrayed the school I was supposed to protect, betrayed even my own order. No one... will forgive me now."

The black-clad woman sobbed fiercely, appalled by the state of her superior. Even though she would've shown him mercy for his confession, she realized many of the school wouldn't have been so understanding, especially those who'd been hurt by the PSC during Kuyou's tenure.

"Michiru," the hybrid man spoke in a barely audible voice, "how I wish things could've been different, but now, my zeal has sealed my me. And if Aono... continues down this dark path... then he too shall die... with nothing, but regret." His whole body stiffened as he grimaced in searing pain. "This must not happen," he spoke through his agony. "Find his friends, Michiru... and tell them... I'm sorry... for everything." He exhaled one last time, and then his head rolled to the side, as his golden eyes closed shut.

Michiru's eyes went wide, as she whimpered at what had just occurred. She placed her hand to his badly wounded chest, and felt no pulse of life within him. Her tears streamed anew, as she felt her heart breaking in her chest. "_**KUYOU-KUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!**_"

* * *

And with this, another tyrant has faded from the world. Will this befall our estranged hero? Will the girls ever forgive their fallen nemesis? And will Michiru ever recover from the death of her unrequited love?

"_Forget that, when am I coming back, Author? You think these simpletons have a prayer without me, ha, they can barely walk and chew bubblegum at the same time._"

"Yeah, what Onee-sama said. What good is this story without our magnificent, exquisite, voluptuous, unequaled, incomparable, invincible Onee-sama?"

"Um, did you forget what happened in the last story? Gosh, short attention span much?"

"I heard that! Let's go, Kou-chan, I like my ice crushed AND cubed!"

Oh gosh, anyway, tune in next time as we return to the main story with Part II Chapter II Mourning Sickness


	3. Part II Chapter II

A/N Hello everyone, hope you all stayed cool during July, I know firsthand how broiling it was. Really kills the creative mood, doesn't it?

"_So does you lusting after Tokoyonokuni from the last Bleach to Vampire chapter. My word, don't you have any shame?_"

Hey! That had nothing to do with it!

"_Who do you think you're fooling, I know you better than that._"

"Hey, give him a break, Moka-san, the man knows what he likes!"

Uh yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence, Gin.

"No charge!"

Anyway, before things get any more out of hand, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. They are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter II  
Mourning Sickness

The light of the green morning sky filtered through the window of a small room, and shone upon the body of a sleeping woman, her torso covered in bloody bandages. She winced slightly, and emitted a barely audible groan, as the gentle light began to rouse her from her slumber. A few seconds later, she opened her purplish pink eyes, wearily lifted her head up and looked about the area. She saw two rows of beds, all occupied by wounded students with various degrees of injuries. It didn't take her long to realize she was in the hospital annex of the academy, and that the patients were students who'd been caught up in the vicious riot that nearly destroyed the school.

She looked down at her bandaged body, and though she was shocked by what she saw, she was even more so by her current condition. "_I'm, alive,_" she asked herself mentally. She gently brushed just below her chest, and felt no pain from where she'd received a supposedly fatal wound. She cautiously rolled onto her side, and rubbed her back. Again, there was no evidence of the dreadful battle she and her friends had fought. Her countenance became very sad, as she recalled what she saw in her dream, which reminded of the events of the fateful day. "Mikogami-sama," she spoke to no one in particular.

"_So you've returned to us, Ruby-san,_" a grave, mysterious voice spoke within her mind.

The dark-haired woman gasped to herself, shocked by the voice in her head. She looked forth, and saw a faint translucent figure before her, sadness in its glowing white eyes. "Mikogami-sama," she spoke in a barely audible voice. "Are you alive, or-" She stopped in mid-sentence, afraid to continue, lest she confirm the dreadful possibility she imagined. She looked around, and saw none of the other patients seemed to be conscious. Either that, or they were unaware of the ghostly figure's presence in the room.

"_Ruby-san,_" the image of the chairman continued mentally, "_no one must know what has become of me. Should news of this reach anyone here, the school will undoubtedly collapse, and the dream of coexistence shall all but assuredly perish._"

The administrative assistant inhaled quietly, a horrified look on her face. The thought of losing her only home since the death of her old master frightened her to no end. "Is there any way to save the school," she asked quietly. "What happened to the others, to Tsukune-san?"

A deep sigh echoed within her mind. "_He has been spirited away from our domain,_" the robed figure replied telepathically. "_He is beyond my sight now. You must rescue him, Ruby-san, lest he become the fiend he seeks to destroy._"

Ruby gasped instinctively as she regarded her superior's words. Even though she'd voiced the same concerns in the dungeon, she was still startled to hear them shared by the First Dark Lord. She recalled the choker Mikogami had ordered Tsukune to don, and realized he'd all but assuredly foreseen the dreadful possibility long before the thought crossed her mind. Her respect for her superior grew, as did her sorrow over his fate.

"_As for the school,_" the mysterious being continued mentally, "_I cannot say. For now, you must go forth, and pursue our enemies. They must not revive Count Dracula, or our world shall once again be plunged into darkness. And above all, save Aono-san, he knows not the horrors that Dracula's power can unleash._"

Ruby nodded at what the fallen administrator had relayed. However, as she pondered on the enormity of the task laid upon her, a great sense of doubt befell her. "Mikogami-sama," she asked with an uncertain look, "is this really alright? Can I do this alone?"

"_You will not be alone,_" the robed figure spoke into her mind, "_nor shall you be unprepared. What you witnessed in your dreams shall become far more significant, as you travel into your enemies' world. And rest assured, regardless of what you encounter on your quest, we shall meet again._"

The dark-haired woman smiled in response, as she felt more confident by what her superior had confided. "Yes, Mikogami-sama."

The magical projection solemnly nodded its cowled head, and then vanished.

Ruby closed her eyes, and reflected upon what the First Dark Lord had revealed. Around that time, a nurse with an exhausted expression on her face walked in, her faded orange bangs falling into her face. She looked in shock to the woman she found sitting up in bed. "Toujyou-san, you're awake," she asked in disbelief.

The witch gasped in surprise, broken out of her introspection. She turned her head towards the newcomer. "It seems so," she replied, as a smile crossed her soft features.

"H-h-how can this be," the nurse asked in disbelief, "not even witches could've recovered so quickly from-"

The dark-haired woman offered no explanation, and only nodded in response. "I know, I thought Colton had killed me back there."

The medical woman gasped in shock, and quickly ran out of the room, which left a bewildered Ruby alone.

A few minutes later, the nurse returned with an older doctor, who was also stunned to see the young woman alive. After a brief examination, the doctor removed her bandages and was shocked as he found no trace of the grievous wounds she's suffered during her fight against Colton. He shook his head in disbelief, as he couldn't understand how she could've completely recovered in a single night. Ruby was shocked by the news, and couldn't give a sufficient explanation, which frustrated him even more. Nevertheless, he gave her a clean bill of health, and ordered for her release, as well as the return of her clothing.

Some time later, the nurse returned with a neatly folded pile of clothes, along with a nondescript package. Ruby took the items with a smile, and watched as the pair left the room. She opened the box, and found a coiled leather whip inside, along with a golden bracelet with arcane runes upon it. She recognized the whip as the legendary weapon once named the Vampire Killer, and the bracelet as the keepsake of Fiona Belnades, who she saw die in her dream. As she took the bracelet in her hand, she recalled what Mikogami had relayed earlier. Her hand tightened on the article, and she slowly closed her eyes, as she thought about her first human friend since the death of her parents. The thought of using the whip of Belmont against him appalled her, in light of what happened the day before, she recognized it was still a possibility. "Tsukune," she spoke softly to herself, "you fool."

* * *

A comatose woman with curly blonde hair groaned as she stirred in her sleep. She gasped aloud as she suddenly regained consciousness. She looked around nervously, and found herself in a hospital room, as the morning light shone through the window. She scanned the area for several moments, as she searched for any hint of the nightmare she'd suffered earlier. She felt no killing intent in the area, and exhaled in relief.

She sat up in bed, and shook off her grogginess. She blinked her crimson irises, as she looked beside her. Lying on an adjacent bed was a familiar figure, clad in a black leather jacket with matching jeans. The blonde woman smiled slightly, threw her legs over the bed and sat on its side as she gazed at her, noting the peaceful expression on her face.

"Neesan," she began in a soft, quiet voice, "when's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" She sighed to herself, and slowly closed her eyes. "I haven't forgotten that day, either. How could I, but do you really think Akasha-san would approve of this?" She lightly shook her head, and her blonde curls waved from side to side. "Perhaps it's best she doesn't know, at least she'll still have all the fond memories she shared with you. That should suffice."

She rose from the bed and turned away, as a lone tear escaped her eyes. "_Chichiu-e must be very worried about us,_" she thought to herself, "_who knows what kind of mood he'll be in once we get back._" She somberly lowered her head, and then briskly shook it. "_No, it's best not to involve him, this matter should be resolved privately, it'll be better for everyone._" She looked back to her still unconscious sister, and emitted a mournful sigh as she slowly closed her crimson irises. "_Moka, I never wanted it to come to this, but regardless of what happens, I will protect you. I truly hope you understand it's all for your well-being, my precious Moka-chan._"

* * *

Ruby made her way through the still busy halls of the hospital annex. The atmosphere held an overwhelming sense of dread, which bordered on despair. Along with the medical staff, she also saw a few members of the PSC patrolling the halls. That instantly made her nervous, as she wondered if they'd come to avenge Kuyou, as well as the rest of their fallen comrades. She kept a tight yet discreet hold on her wand as she went through the corridors.

Along the way, she watched as a relatively diminutive figure made her way through the crowd, clad in a long brown cloak and a large pointed hat. Though she wore the traditional academy skirt, instead of the usual emerald jacket and white blouse, she wore a sleeveless cheery red shirt, over which was what resembled a faded purple vest, cut to reveal her upper torso. Her short, straight brunette bangs hung just over her violet eyes, which immediately brightened once they caught sight of the dark-haired woman. "Ruby-san!" the figure cried out happily, ran towards the older witch and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Ruby-san, you're alright! I'm so happy, desu!"

The chairman's assistant smiled, and returned her embrace. "Yukari-chan, so you survived as well?"

"Yes, I thought I was dying, but then I had this strange dream, and woke up here. They even gave me my old clothes back, that was so nice of them, desu."

The older woman was happy for her fellow witch, even more so to see her in her old attire. It was then that she noted the new accessory on her person. "Yukari-chan," she asked curiously, "where'd you get that earring?"

"Oh, you mean this," the younger girl asked, as she touched the item with her fingertips. "I got it from a time traveler I met in my dreams."

Ruby quickly shushed the shorter girl, and brought her fingertips to her lips. "Not so loud, Yukari-chan," she whispered urgently, "I don't think we should be discussing it in public."

The younger witch looked surprised, but quickly understood what the dark-haired woman meant. "Oh yes, sorry, Ruby-san."

"You people are so noisy," an unseen voice spoke up, as a cold presence suddenly manifested amongst them. The younger girl turned around, and saw a young woman with unruly purple hair, clad in a loose-fitting white sweatshirt with dark blue sleeves. Underneath she wore a black tank top, of which only the top of the straps were visible. Her legs were covered by nearly full-length lavender and purple striped stockings, and a familiar brown leather belt was wrapped around her left leg, for reasons known only to her. She wore an indecipherable expression on her pale face, as she held a lollipop between her lips.

"Mizore-chan," the younger witch protested, "we're trying _not_ to make a scene."

"When have we ever succeeded in that," the yuki onna asked plainly.

Yukari pouted indignantly, and then noticed a crystal blue circlet upon her classmate's brow, with a frozen jewel shaped like an eye in the center. "Say, where'd you get that," she asked as she pointed to the new article.

"Don't ask," the older girl responded with a slight frown, along with a noticeably furrowed brow.

The smaller girl leaned back, as she knew it was rare that Mizore ever changed her expression. The fact that she looked visibly perturbed showed how much the situation displeased her. The child prodigy quickly decided against pressing the issue. "But, you got your old clothes back," she mentioned warily, "that's good for something, isn't it, desu?"

The purple-haired girl's expression lightened at that. "Sure does, about time the PSC did something useful. Still trust them as far as I can throw them across campus."

Both witches got a chuckle out of their friend's remark.

"Anyway," Mizore spoke up, "have you seen the others?"

"Not yet," Ruby replied with a light smile, "but I don't think finding them will be a problem." Her smile faded slightly as she looked away, reluctant to relay what had become of Tsukune.

"That's true enough," Yukari interjected, "Moka-san and boob girl can't be discreet to save their life, desu."

"This coming from you," the yuki onna asked with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

The group asked around, and soon learned the location of their still-missing friends. After a few minutes, a familiar figure walked into the hall before her. She was the same as she'd always been, so they had no trouble recognizing her.

"Kurumu-san!" the youngest of the group exclaimed happily, and she ran forth and hugged the incognito succubus. "Kurumu-san, you're alight!"

The cyan-haired girl returned her embrace with a sad yet relieved smile. "Yukari-chan, you made it, too," she replied, as tears streamed down her face. "I'm so happy."

"Me too."

"Hey, we're here, too," the blue-eyed youkai added with a twinge of annoyance in her voice, "doesn't that count for something?"

The sweater-clad girl looked to her classmate, and gave her a sad smile. "Of course it does, Mizore-chan. I was so afraid I'd lost you all." She immediately went forward and tightly hugged the yuki onna.

"Hey, I'm not checking out that easily," the purple-haired girl remarked with a sad smile as she returned the gesture, "I have too much to live for."

"So do I," the youngest of the group interjected as she joined the group hug, "I don't want to see everything destroyed, we've been through too much together, desu."

"None of us do, Yukari-chan," Ruby spoke soothingly as she knelt down slightly and hugged her fellow witch from behind, "so we must go forth, and fight to protect everything we cherish."

The shorter girl hummed in acknowledgment and then looked to the others. "Say, does anyone know what happened to Tsukune? I haven't heard anything about him since last night."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as the joint hug ended. The other girls looked away, with very troubled expressions on their faces. Moreover, a couple of staff members warily looked in their direction at the mention of the missing student's name.

"What," the young witch asked in confusion as she looked to everyone, "what is it? Has something happened to him?"

Ruby placed her hands on the sophomore's shoulders and gently turned the brunette to face her. "Yukari-chan," she spoke lowly, "we can't talk about it here. Let's find Moka-san room first, then we can talk."

The smaller girl looked visibly disappointed, but couldn't deny everyone's reactions to her inquiry, especially the serious look on her fellow witch's face. "Alright," she finally conceded.

* * *

The girls asked about, and were soon given directions to Moka's room. Once they arrived, they saw a blonde woman before the door, whose fists were tightly clenched as she wore a fidgety look on her mature face. She wore a familiar sleeveless pink top, blue denim miniskirt, and a nondescript necklace with a bell in the center.

Yukari gasped lightly as she immediately recognized the woman. "Nekonome-sensei," she asked.

The youkai's ears perked up, and she immediately headed towards them. "You finally came," she began, "I was so worried." She placed a slender arm around Kurumu and Mizore's shoulders, and pulled them close to her, and Yukari hugged around her trim waist.

"Sensei," the cyan-haired girl spoke sadly.

"Please, tell me," the feline teacher spoke, her voice cracking with sadness and desperation as she looked between her club members, "what happened to Aono-kun? He was with you after the clubhouse was destroyed, wasn't he? Where is he, no one will tell me anything."

Most of the girls groaned inwardly and glanced at the floor, unsure about how they should've responded.

"What is it," the blonde woman asked, "what's happened to him?"

Ruby sighed to herself as she regarded the faculty member. "We can't tell you out here," she began gravely. "Moka's in that room, isn't she," the older witch asked as she looked to the door, "we can discuss it inside."

The feline teacher mewed in audible disappointment. "If you insist."

The group walked inside, with Ruby bringing up the rear. Once everyone had entered, she closed the door behind her, turned towards it and produced her black spell book. She flipped to a certain page, and spoke a strange incantation. She then pointed her staff at the wall where the door was situated, and a strong magical aura shone before it, which filled the room with a mystical resonance before it faded.

"There," the older witch spoke as she turned to the others, "now we can speak freely. No one will hear us from the outside."

"So you've finally arrived," a female voice spoke from near the back of the room. The four girls turned, and watched as a black-clad woman emerged from a shadow on the wall. Her long black hair was somewhat disheveled, and her uniform looked somewhat rumpled, but otherwise she was no worse for wear.

"Michiru-san!" Yukari exclaimed happily. "You came, too? It's good to see you again, desu."

"What happened to you," Mizore asked quizzically, "rough morning?"

"That's a gross understatement," the undercover agent replied drolly. "Akashiya-san's mother was furious when she discovered what happened to her daughter. Moreover," she continued, as she folded her arms under her chest, "a few of the PSC still loyal to Kuyou attempted to detain her in violation of the new regulations made yesterday."

"You're kidding me," the purple-haired girl remarked flatly, and nearly lost her lollipop over the revelation. "They tried to execute Moka's mother?"

"Yes, and you can imagine how well _that_ went over," the black-clad woman noted acidly. She looked like she had more to relay, but remained silent, and shivered visibly.

The girls looked to one another in chagrin, as did Nekonome, who mewed warily over the latest turn of events. They'd all seen the kind of havoc Moka could've caused, and since they imagined her mother was much more powerful, they shuddered at the kind of devastation she could've wrought under such circumstances, especially if she ever discovered what happened to her daughter over the past three days.

"Anyway," Michiru spoke up, which broke the uncomfortable silence, "if you have anything to say to Akashiya-san, do so now. For I fear after today, you will not see her again."

* * *

Ayumu stood at the edge of an ancient ruined building at the edge of the academy property. Before it was a massive blackened crater, which sporadically crackled with leftover youki. Beside her was a mysterious man in a blue suit, slacks, and driver's cap, who held a lit cigar between his lips.

"My goodness," the incognito countess remarked with a look of blank shock on her ageless face, "what on earth happened here?"

The stranger inhaled deeply, and then exhaled a puff of smoke. "This is where the chairman was imprisoned after he fought Colton." A light but very perturbed frown appeared on his face. "How ironic," he continued, "the same place we used to house the last of Dracula's followers became Mikogami's prison." He turned to his current companion. "As well as your daughter's."

The pink-haired woman hissed instinctively, and bared her fangs as she turned her brooding gaze towards the enigmatic being. "You mean they dared imprison Moka-chan in this hellhole for such a frivolous excuse," she asked with a burning crimson glare, and then hissed through clenched teeth. "Such audacity, I should've dealt with that upstart personally, then Moka-chan would've never been in any danger!"

The Bus Driver said nothing in response, his eyes as unreadable as always.

"Where is he," Ayumu asked in a low voice.

"I'm afraid you're too late, Akasha-san, he's already dead."

The adult vampire's green eyes went wide. "What, how?"

"He challenged a power he didn't understand, and, it proved to be the death of him."

The pink-haired woman growled to herself as she looked back to the ruins. "Just like his father," she noted, a slightly remorseful look on her face. She quickly brushed aside her troubled thoughts and turned back to the uniformed man beside her. "And what of Mikogami," she asked sternly, "I hope you're not planning to leave him like this."

The mustached man chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, once everyone is off campus, we can begin the excavation process then. Of course, there's no guarantee what condition he'll be in when we find him." He lowered his gaze somberly, and pulled the brim of his cap over his eyes. "And I'm sure you already know, if word got out of what happened here, it would cause widespread panic across all the youkai realms. Even if the chairman is still alive, if enough people believe otherwise-"

Ayumu gnashed her teeth, as a half sigh, half hiss escaped her. "No one will let their children come to this school again," she admitted gravely, as she folded her arms under her chest.

The mysterious figure's expression grew grim, and the hand that held his cigar went down by his side. "It's truly tragic," he began, "this school was built in order to negate the purpose of Dracula, or anyone with similar ambitions. We cannot move forward into the future if we still cling to the ideals of the past."

The incognito countess frowned at that, for she knew well how stubbornly the older generations clung to the past ideals, especially the mantra that might made right.

"But now," the driver continued, "our three hundred year-labor is on the brink of failure. In three days, Pierce Colton reduced the school to what you see now."

"How did he find my daughter," the pink-haired woman asked intently.

The mustached man inhaled deeply from his cigar, and emitted a large cloud of smoke. "He knows the mark of his master better than anyone. We still don't know when Dracula cursed your daughter, yet the evidence is impossible to refute. No matter what we could've done to conceal her presence, he would've still found her. Of course, we thought he was no longer relevant as well, and we were wrong." His lips tightened visibly, as he placed his free hand in his pocket. "The long forgotten war has begun again, and Dracula has drawn first blood. That boy, he made it too easy for him."

Ayumu immediately turned and glared intently at him. "Tsukune did this," she demanded harshly, as she unfolded her arms and let her fingers flex menacingly by her sides.

The mysterious youkai didn't react, even though he felt the killing intent within the incensed woman. "How I wish I could deny it," he started somberly. "He was led here to fulfill the purpose of the school, and went far in that objective. Never did we imagine his destiny could've been used for evil, and especially not for the return of... him."

Ayumu exhaled bitterly as she looked to the ruins, then to her companion. Without another word, she spun on her heel and walked away from the scene.

"Where are you headed," the enigmatic figure called out.

"I'm taking Moka home with me!" she shot back over her shoulder. "I'm not gonna let anyone threaten her again! Not Issa, Colton, or Tsukune." She continued into the distance, headed back towards the school.

The uniformed man turned away and chuckled to himself. "Suit yourself," he spoke mildly as he took another puff from his cigar, "but you might find that more difficult than you believe. The wheels of fate have been set in motion, and you should know it never asks for permission."

* * *

Elsewhere in the world, under the cover of night, a group of three travelers made their way down a travel-worn path, lined on both sides with broken tombstones and lifeless trees. They'd already passed through the ruins of a long abandoned village which reeked of death, as did most of the immediate area.

The group was led by a single man in a long purple coat, with two figures in black robes and hoods behind him. Each wore a white porcelain mask, with the lips and outlines of the eye openings painted gold. Elegant ebony and gold patterns are painted on the surface, along with a vibrant leaf pattern over the left eye. An ominous black aura hovered over the entire group, which warded off anyone that would've considered approaching the motley crew, though since there was no sign of life for miles in each direction, the gesture seemed somewhat unnecessary.

The shorter of the robed pair made gagging sound as they went forward. "What a horrible stench," it remarked in an annoyed voice, "no wonder no one lives out here." The figure turned to its companion. "Gah, how can you stand this place?"

"Calm yourself, child," the second figure spoke in a more mature yet clearly feminine voice, "this scent is most exquisite for the children of the night. Breathe deeply of it and savor its magnificence, for this is an apropos setting for us vampires," she continued, as she gestured amongst the barren landscape. "This is a reflection of the world Lord Dracula desires, the world that we desire." She motioned for her companion to stop, turned in her direction and lightly placed a slender hand on her masked visage. "And in time," she continued in her seductive voice, as her hand trailed down her neck and stopped in the middle of her chest, "you shall come to desire it as well."

The younger of the pair sighed to herself, and placed her hands over that of her companion. "As long as she's with me, I can endure anything. Lord Dracula can bring her back, right?"

The shrouded woman chuckled lightly in response. "Trust me child, Lord Dracula can do anything."

Their journey continued to the edge of a stagnant lake, long devoid of any sign of life. Before them was the beginning of an impossibly long and derelict bridge, which appeared to be perpetually on the verge of collapse. A large boulder was situated in front of them, which obstructed their path. The leader casually looked over his shoulder to his associates, who remained silent. He turned back, focused his immense dark aura, and thrust his gloved hands towards the ground. Once he did, a large disk of dark energy appeared beneath them, and levitated high into the air, with them upon it. The disc floated over the boulder, and gracefully descended on the other side, stopping just above the surface of the rotten bridge. The strange trio stepped off the disc, which then dissipated.

They continued down the long neglected and forgotten bridge, which seemed to disappear into the darkness ahead. After a few minutes, they finally reached the other side, where two humanoid figured clad in black suits, hats, ties, and sunglasses, with their gloved hands behind their backs. Though they lacked any visible armaments, their foul aura clearly indicated they were anything but human. Beyond them was what appeared to be an island, completely enshrouded in darkness. The younger woman hissed instinctively, as her youki began to manifest. The leader held his arm out to the side to ward her off, but the robed figure refused to relent.

Suddenly, the dark aura above them descended towards the ground, which dwarfed that of the somewhat insubordinate being in the rear. It coalesced between them and the strangers in the form of a huge expanse of mist, from which emerged a towering figure in a long black cloak, which all but completely concealed him from the group behind him.

The two black-clad man gasped in shock, and immediately prostrated themselves before the dark overlord. "Oh mighty Count Dracula!" they declared in fear and reverence.

The sinister being glared down at the pair before him, seemingly offended by their very existence. "Let us pass," he spoke in a deep, ominous voice that let no room for debate.

"Yes, my Lord!" the guard to the right replied hastily, then turned to his comrade. "Head back, inform the Master that Lord Dracula and company have arrived."

"Right!" He quickly headed into the darkness behind him and disappeared from sight.

The taller of the two masked woman leaned near her companion. "What did I tell you," she asked, an undisguised smugness in her voice.

Her fellow traveler chuckled in response.

* * *

The group were led into the darkness, and within it they saw the incomplete form of a colossal stone structure. They saw spotlights scattered about the area, as well as large orcs, trolls, minotaurs and cyclopses that worked through the night, piling huge cinder blocks and erecting columns. Moreover, they saw a few large cranes that hoisted up more blocks to the higher reaches of the building project, which were quickly procured by the workers on that level and set in place.

Around that time, a mysterious figure emerged from the ruins, clad in a robe that appeared to have be woven from the night itself. A great bat-shaped amulet hung from the figure's neck, with glowing blood-red rubies for eyes, which matched those of the being itself. He immediately bowed as he came before the towering ruler of darkness.

"[Ah, Lord Dracula,]" the figure spoke began earnestly, "[thou dost grace us with thine unholy presence.]"

The younger woman placed her hand on her hip, quite annoyed by the newcomer. What she found the most disturbing was though she didn't understand his dialect, his voice and overly servile demeanor seemed vaguely familiar to her. She clearly knew he was a vampire, and was very irritated that one of her race could've possibly been so self-effacing. However, when she considered who was leading their band, she better understood his actions.

"[What is the meaning of those,]" the cloaked being demanded, as he pointed towards the large machines in the area. "[You dare insult me with these toys? They have no place in the world of darkness.]"

"[Oh no, perish the thought!]" the smaller figure spoke quickly, as he dismissively waved his hands. "[But to rebuild the castle in a more arcane fashion would've attracted the attention of the three opposers. This way, it's seen as a regular construction project, and nothing more. I assure you, it's but a temporary measure. Once the castle is complete, we'll have no more need for such devices.]"

"[And where did you obtain these, implements,]" the man in the purple coat asked, [not to mention the labor force."]

"[Ah, they are part of a large corporation in the Far East, the same country where we last met. As for funding, we received a, sizable donation, from that great country to the West. I must say, it was very, stimulating.]"

Both men chuckled for a few moments, while the shorter woman rolled her eyes behind her mask, even more annoyed by the newcomer's long-winded tendencies.

"[And how do you plan to keep this from their notice,]" the older woman asked in the same language. "[Those pretenders, regardless of how simple-minded they are, will find out sooner or later.]"

"[Ah, but that's the purpose of the barrier we've created,]" he replied sagely as he gestured to the dark cloud above them. "[It appears as nothing more but an abandoned ruin during the day, and since the Council has been so effective at eliminating anyone who comes within a hundred miles of this place, our work remains uninterrupted. Moreover, since those three false rulers are all based in the Far East, they're wholly unaware of anything occurring here. If anything, they've made it too easy for us to enact our plans.]"

"[Enough of this chattering,]" the dark overlord spoke menacingly as he peered down his nose at the smaller figure before him. "[Is the gate ready?]"

"[Yes, my lord. The preparations have been completed on schedule, the portal can be opened at your command.]"

"[Take us there at once.]"

The mysterious being led the way into the ruins. They traveled down a long, winding corridor, which seemed to come to a dead end. The robed figure stepped forth, placed his hand on the wall, and a panel slid inwards. No sooner than it did that a large part of the floor slid away, which revealed a stairwell that led into the darkness.

The party descended the staircase and continued down a darkened hallway. There were no torches to provide any light, yet none of the group needed any to see the path forward. They walked through several darkened passageways, and descended several sets of stairs until they came to a large chamber with broken columns beside them. At the end was an arched set of double doors, with indecipherable patterns carved upon it. Behind the door was a strong, unusual aura that seemed otherworldly. The robed figure held out his hands, which glowed with a dark violet aura. Soon the doors glowed with the same aura and opened on their own accord.

"What the hecht is in there," the younger woman asked nervously, as she'd never sensed such power in her life. It was neither human, youkai, or anything she'd felt in her short life.

"You'll find out soon enough, darling," her companion spoke soothingly. "Come."

The group was led inside a vast room which pulsated with powerful energy. A large crystal was situated in the ceiling and from it ran a series of cables that stretched along the ceiling, down the walls, and across the floor to a raised platform, with a single marble pedestal in the center. The bald man looked up at the crystal, sensed the aura within, and a wry smirk crossed his features.

"[So this is how you created the barrier,]" he noted.

"[Indeed,]" the robed figure replied in the same language, "[your old acquaintance has been very helpful in this regard. As long as the crystal remains active, our ruse shall be sustained until the appointed time. Moreover, it shall open the way back to your world, while our foes are none the wiser.]"

The bald man chuckled in response, a pleased expression on his pale face.

"[I thought you'd appreciate that,]" the vampire noted, then turned back to the pedestal, and spread his arms out grandly. "[Gatekeeper,]" he spoke in a mild shout, "[the time has come. Answer now the call of thine Lord's servant!]"

The crystal in the ceiling glowed brightly, and its energy was channeled through the cables to the pedestal in the middle of the room. A strange aura manifested above it, and within it appeared the image of a slim-bodied man, clad in a purple robe, bound at the waist by a golden sash. A long crimson cloak hung over his shoulders, and covered most of his form. His deeply-lined pale face was framed by the edges of his blood-colored habit, which ran down past his shoulders. His lifeless eyes stared at the group before him with a twinge of annoyance.

"_[I trust you have acquired the offering,]_" the projection spoke in a distorted voice, which was impossible to distinguish if it was his normal voice, or if it was the result of some unknown anomaly.

"[Right here,]" the bald man remarked as he gestured to his right side. Once he did, an eerie-looking coffin emerged from the floor, covered in spectral blue flames.

"_[Excellent work, does this mean the plan was a success?]_"

"[A resounding one at that. And should anyone attempt to pursue us, our associate here shall dispose of them properly,]" he concluded, as he motioned to the vampire in the hooded black robe, who merely bowed his head and chuckled.

"_[Very well, we eagerly await your arrival.]_"

The European man rapped his knuckles against the side of the casket. "Look lively, my boy, you're about to arrive at your new home," he spoke out of the side of his mouth.

The younger woman gave him a peculiar look, which was concealed behind her mask. "Why is he talking to a coffin," she asked in disbelief.

"He's done worse," her companion retorted, and then glared at the bald man. "_How did he ever get to be Lord Dracula's favorite,_" she thought to herself. "_Just you wait, my time shall come._"

* * *

Within said casket, Tsukune Aono cringed as he felt the release of an enormous amount of unknown energy. "What's going on," he asked in confusion. "Where are you taking me?" Up ahead, he saw a white light headed towards him, which quickly began to overtake him. He became terrified as he saw his feet disappear into the light, followed by his knees. "_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"

* * *

The girls were thunderstruck by what Michiru had revealed, each with looks of disbelief in their eyes. "Wh-wh-what are you saying," Yukari asked in shock. "Why won't we see Moka-san again?"

"Just look at the condition of the school," the PSC officer explained. "At the very least, it'll be closed down and the students returned to their homes. And considering what's happened over the past three days, they might not want to come back. And once their parents learn what befell the school, they'll remove them in a heartbeat. Needless to say, Akashiya-san shares these sentiments." She folded her arms and somberly bowed her head. "And even that will be tame compared to what'll occur if word gets out of Mikogami's fate."

Nekonome gasped in undisguised fear. "Fate," she asked timidly, "no, you must be mistaken, Kawasado-san."

"It's no mistake, sensei, I was there. I saw the dungeon where the chairman was imprisoned demolished in a huge- no, gargantuan explosion of negative energy. No one on campus could've possibly missed that."

The blonde youkai looked to her in horror, aghast at what she'd just heard.

"It's true, sensei," a woman's voice spoke from the bed. Everyone turned, and watched a woman with long silver hair sat up. A few pink locks were intermixed with her brilliant ivory tresses, which fell into her eyes. "The chairman who did those horrible things was an impostor." She turned directly to the older woman. "It was Colton."

The feline teacher gasped as the female patient's slitted red irises, intermixed with shades of green, turned towards her. She cringed as she felt her powerful demonic aura, which starkly contrasted with her somber facade. "Akashiya-san," she asked nervously.

"Yes, Nekonome-sensei. I know I don't look like myself, or even sound like myself, but it's still me."

The blonde youkai mewed timidly, still intimidated by her club member's aura.

The female vampire pulled the sheets off her body, moved her long legs over the side, and placed her bare feet on the floor. She slid off the bed and stood up straight, and found herself greeted by five wary glances. "Come here," she spoke softly.

Kurumu cautiously approached the silver and pink-haired woman, and the others followed behind. Once she got close enough, she yelped as the daiyoukai ensnared her in a powerful embrace.

"I thought you were dead," Moka spoke in a despondent voice, as tears streamed from her eyes. "I thought Colton had killed you!"

"It's okay," the incognito succubus replied painfully, as it seemed her ribs were being compacted, "I'm still here. So could you please ease up a little?" She soon felt her classmate's grip had slackened, which allowed her to breathe. She then returned her embrace. "It's alright, we're all here. We survived, somehow."

The vampire sighed in relief. "That's good to know," she spoke with a wan smile.

"Moka-san!" the youngest of the group cried out, as she instinctively ran up and wrapped her arms around the sophomore's midriff. She couldn't help but sob as she buried her face in the vampire's sizable chest.

"Um, yes," the S-class monster replied with a bemused smile. "Good to see you too, Yukari-chan. And," she continued, as she extricated the young witch face from her chest and tilted her head so she could've looked straight at her, "I'm up here."

The brunette gave her an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, right, I knew that, Moka-san."

The female vampire lightly shook her head, as her bemused grin remained. She then turned to the yuki onna, who wore an anxious look on her face. "Mizore-chan," she spoke softly, as she removed herself from the younger girl's grip, headed forward and embraced the purple-haired girl without hesitation. "It's so good to see you again."

The blue-eyed girl was taken off-guard by the silver and pink-haired woman's actions, even more so when she noticed her classmate didn't even shiver as she held her. Confused, but still touched, the sophomore returned her embrace. "Yeah, same here, Moka." She sighed quietly as she closed her eyes. "_If only Tsukune would hold me like this,_" she thought to herself, "_I'd be so happy._"

After a few seconds, the daiyoukai released her friend, and then turned to the older witch. "Ruby," she spoke happily, "I'm glad you survived." She then reached out and pulled her into a warm embrace.

The dark-haired woman was surprised by her friend's sudden display of affection, but was touched by her gesture nonetheless. "Yes, it's good to see you too, Moka-san."

Yukari looked on in disbelief, shocked at what she'd just witnessed. "How can she hug Mizore-chan like that," she asked, as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I get chills just bearing near her."

The cyan-haired girl looked to her classmate, and had similar thoughts. It was then that she remembered a certain coldness when the female vampire held her earlier. "Moka," she asked worriedly.

"What is it, Kurumu," her classmate asked as she immediately turned in her direction.

The incognito succubus walked over to her, and looked to the rosary on her chest. She gasped in horror, and her violet eyes went wide as she saw the cross had turned dark gray cross, and the jewel in the center had turned night black. She also felt a very sinister aura about it, something the artifact hadn't possessed the previous day. "What, what's happened to the Rosario," she asked in shock.

The others looked to the cross, and practically gasped in unison.

Moka grimaced in response, as she gripped the rosary with both hands. "After that battle," she began in a pained voice, "Tsukune destroyed the chairman's office, and thought he'd destroyed Colton as well. He said, that's how power was meant to be used."

"No way," Mizore spoke with a blank look.

"That can't be," Kurumu added, as she didn't want to imagine her Mate of Fate delighting in such carnage. Then she remembered what Queen Lilith showed her in her dream, and her tears began to flow anew.

"Aono-kun," Nekonome asked in a frightened voice.

The female vampire nodded, as tears ran down her face. "Yes, but Ura-chan refused to believe him. He was completely mad, he claimed he was stronger than Dracula. Ura-chan tried to knock some sense into him, but it didn't work." Her shoulders began to shake as her trembling hands held her cross. "And then he replaced the seal, but it was, so painful. He, did something terrible to the Rosario." Her voice began cracking at that point, as the horrible memory of the previous day came to her. "And the last thing he said, was until she saw things his way, she'd never awaken again! Tsukune, killed Ura-chan!" she concluded as she burst into tears.

"Oh, Moka," the incognito succubus spoke sadly as she held her grieving friend.

"Moka-san," Yukari added, tears in her own eyes as she hugged the despondent vampire.

"Akashiya-san," Nekonome interjected, a look of sheer disbelief on her face, "that, that can't be true! Aono-kun, a killer?"

Mizore was visibly saddened, but also confused as she looked to her classmate. "Moka," she asked, "who's Ura-chan?"

The silver and pink-haired woman stopped her tears, and turned to the yuki onna. "She's the other me," she replied with a sad look in her crimson irises, "the one you only see when my Rosario is removed. That what I've always called her." She looked down to her lifeless cross. "But since then, I haven't been able to feel her presence, hear her voice, nothing."

"The other you," the younger witch asked, a perplexed look on her face. "Wait a minute, then that means-" She inhaled sharply, as her eyes went wide. "Moka-san?"

"Yes, Yukari," the taller girl replied, "it's me, the same Moka you couldn't stop groping the first day we met," she concluded with a bemused smirk.

The youngest of the group groaned in chagrin as she looked to the others. Suddenly, two fists slammed atop her head and drove her into the floor.

"What did you think you were doing," Kurumu demanded as she glared down at the fallen girl, her cocked fist by her side. "Exploiting Moka like that, you are completely shameless!"

"I should glaciate you for that," Mizore warned in a frosty voice, as she opened her fist, which then turned into a large icy claw. "How long were you planning to hide _this_ dirty little deed?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis," the younger witch quipped, produced her wand and waved it side to side. Once she did, a pair of washing basins crashed down onto her two attackers and drove them into the floor. She then got to her feet and held her chin up triumphantly. "And you don't need to know. Oh, and now that Moka-san looks like the other Moka-san," she spoke with an elated smile as she brought her fists up under her chin, "she's even dreamier, there's just so much of more of her to love. Oh, I can hardly wait to spend night after night with her and-"

Her reverie was interrupted when another fist smashed into the top of her head, which drilled her into the floor so hard the room actually shook. An irate Moka loomed over her, her fist clenched tightly as her body exuded a massive killing intent. "If you even think of enacting those perverted fantasies," she spoke menacingly, as her alternate persona did, "I'll beat you so badly, you wouldn't be able to feel anything for the next **month!**" she shouted, as her eyes flashed dangerously.

Yukari looked up from the floor, and cowered as she saw the murderous look in the vampire's eyes, along with her bared and much larger fangs. Her whole body shivered in fear, as it was the first time she'd gotten on the daiyoukai's bad side. "Okay, okay, I'll be good, Moka-san," she spoke timidly, as she covered her head with her hands. "Please have mercy on me, desu!"

An irate hiss escaped from between the silver-haired woman's clenched teeth.

Kurumu and Mizore warily got to their feet, as the scene before them reminded the pair of the times they'd been on the receiving end of Inner Moka's wrath. The killer intent they felt was only too familiar.

"Yeah," the cyan-haired girl began hesitantly, "point taken."

"Ditto," the yuki onna added.

The vampire growled lowly as she slowly turned her brooding gaze to them.

"But seriously," the incognito succubus continued with a wary expression, "your Rosario, is that why, you look like the other Moka now?"

The silver-haired woman slowly closed her eyes. "Yes, now that Ura-chan is dead, the seal is basically useless. So I must fight in her stead, to save Tsukune."

The purple-haired girl gulped nervously. She saw her fellow student was clearly heartbroken, and didn't plan on worsening her already delicate mood. "Moka," the yuki onna asked warily, "what happened to him?"

The distraught super monster folded her arms under her chest. "After I awakened again, I felt something terrible had just happened. But when I found him, he was in a coffin!"

"What?" the two girls exclaimed in shock.

Moka began to sniffle again as she recalled the painful memory. "Colton was about to take him away. And I knew if I did nothing, I'd never see him again." Her trembling hand went to her chest, and it closed into a fist. "So I used this cursed power within me, and fought him."

"That's crazy!" Kurumu loudly protested. "Moka, you know what that power does to people's minds! Look what it did to Tsukune!"

"I thought you were all dead!" the silver-haired woman shot back defensively. "Ura-chan was dead! There **was** no one else! I knew I had only one chance to save Tsukune, so I was gonna give it everything I had! No more excuses, no more second guessing, _**NO MORE FAILURE!**_" she proclaimed boldly, as her aura exploded around her, which sent her bed flying against the wall. "I chose to fight as a royal vampire would, _**AND**_ _**SAVE TSUKUNE!**_"

The whole room was stunned silent by her declaration. Ruby looked to the door, and checked to make certain her incantation was still intact. For she surmised had it failed, the vampire would've been heard throughout the entire floor of the annex. She was certain several people had felt her youki from outside the room.

After several seconds, Moka's aura died down. It was several more seconds that the group finally felt it was safe to approach their friend again. Surprisingly, the first one to step forward was the usually skittish and timid Nekonome, who looked to her charge with a frightened yet awed look.

"That must've been very hard for you," the feline teacher spoke gravely, "I know how much you hate fighting." She continued forward, though her steps were small. "But I see when you were pushed into a corner, you chose to push back. I'm so proud of you, Akashiya-san," the blonde youkai finished, and cried as she embraced the taller woman.

"Sensei," the vampire replied with a surprised look, but was glad her teacher had approved, despite her usual anti-violence stance, and returned her embrace. "Thank you," she finished with a touched smile.

"Moka-san," Yukari began nervously as she approached her, "you really fought Colton alone? Weren't you afraid?"

The daiyoukai solemnly closed her eyes. "I'd be lying if I said otherwise, but I couldn't have let it stop me. What scared me even more than him, was the thought of never seeing Tsukune again. That made the choice very simple." She folded her arms under her chest. "I fought against him with every bit of strength I could've mustered. Even though he'd been weakened after his battle with Tsukune, he was still a difficult opponent, more so than any who'd challenged Ura-chan. I thought I'd defeated him, but he still didn't die. He disappeared into a portal, with Tsukune."

"No!" Nekonome mewed in chagrin.

"Colton got away," Kurumu asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Moka conceded, "and his last words were the most infuriating thing I'd ever heard from anyone."

"_Your first attempt at harnessing Lord Dracula's power was, most impressive,_" the image of Colton in her mind remarked. "_Such valor deserves a reward. Your friends will live, for now._"

Most of the girls looked positively exasperated at what Moka had relayed, though none more than the incognito succubus, whose countenance was a mask of disgust and indignation. "'Your friends will live, for now,'" she spoke mockingly. "Who does this clown think he is! He can't just decide who lives and who dies!"

"Yeah," Mizore added, "deus ex machina much?"

"That bald blowhard is way too big for his britches!" Yukari interjected boldly. "I'm gonna use my iron tarot cards to deflate that swelled head of his!"

"I think we've all had enough of Colton toying with people's lives," Ruby added sternly. "He and Dracula must be stopped, for the sake of everyone who've died because of their sinister ambitions. We must be the instruments that punish them for their sins."

Nekonome mewed in chagrin at the vows being made by her club members, as her ears shot up along with her tail. "What's with you children," she asked nervously. "You sound like you're declaring war."

The older witch wryly smirked in response. "Yes, I suppose we are."

"But Toujyou-san, you're all just children! You shouldn't be risking hour lives like this, you could all be killed!"

"If we don't," Moka pointed out, "he's won. And I refuse to give Dracula the satisfaction of knowing he's beaten me! I'll hunt him down to the ends of the earth until I get Tsukune back!"

"What she said!" Kurumu added boldly.

"Same here!" Yukari interjected.

"Ditto," Mizore remarked.

"Yes," Ruby added in a more reserved yet still determined voice, "we must go forth to save our friend, as well as this school, and our world from total destruction at Dracula's hands."

The blond woman groaned in chagrin, as she realized her students had made up their minds.

At that point, the lone PSC officer in the room stepped forward. "Might I join you on your quest?"

"Michiru-san," Yukari asked curiously.

"I can't deny the role we played in the downfall of the academy. I must atone for what's been wrought." She solemnly bowed her head. "Moreover, it was Kuyou's dying wish that I assist in saving Tsukune-san."

"Sheah right," the purple-haired girl shot back derisively, "why should we believe him after what he's pulled?"

The black-clad woman sighed in remorse. "It was only after his defeat at Tsukune-san's hands that he was freed from the curse, and realized his folly. But then, it was too late for him to make amends." She sniffled lightly as she looked to the unreceptive crowd before her. "Nevertheless, he wanted you all to know, that he was sorry for what he'd done, and didn't want Tsukune-san to die like him, alone with nothing but regret."

Moka inhaled sharply, as her eyes went wide. "He actually said that?"

"Yes, Akashiya-san. Doubt him if you will, but I saw how he died. Such a fate must not befall Tsukune-san."

"It won't," the daiyoukai replied with a determined look. "I will save Tsukune, even if I have to bring him back kicking and screaming."

Kurumu winced at her classmate's words, but then turned to the black-clad woman. "Michiru, I can't speak for everyone, but I can see how much this hurts you." She wiped a stray tear from her eyes. "I know I'd feel the same if that was Tsukune's fate. If you want to help save him, be my guest. We're gonna need all the help we can get for this fight."

"Kuyou was the biggest bully in the whole school," Yukari spoke with a lowered gaze. "At least I thought so, until we met Dracula. But even though I know it seems pointless to hate someone who's already dead, I just, I can't forget how he tried to kill Tsukune, just to prove a point!" she cried out. "He didn't belong in the school, he didn't belong in this world!" She shook her head, as bitter tears ran from her eyes. "And because of him Tsukune-san's gone crazy. How can I ever forget that?"

"How can we forget all those stupid rules he set up yesterday," Mizore added tartly. "He used us and his own guys to destroy the school, and it worked. You say he was cursed, I say he did exactly what he wanted. I wouldn't forgive him if he was the last youkai on earth."

Michiru looked quite distraught after the last rejection. She looked almost pleadingly at Ruby, who merely sighed and glanced away. Even Nekonome didn't return her look, as she merely bowed her head.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," a disembodied voice spoke within the room, "it's only natural to hate those who hurt you."

Everyone gasped and turned to Moka, who looked down in shock at her Rosario. Suddenly, a beam of black light shot from the jewel, and a shadowy aura manifested across from her. Within the aura appeared the spectral form a hybrid kitsune, his four tails billowing behind him. His long blonde hair hung down to the middle of his back, and his face and powerful torso were decorated by tattoos. Though his visage once resonated supreme pride and invincibility, it currently shone emptiness and nigh immeasurable regret.

"This isn't possible," Ruby spoke in disbelief, "you're supposed to be dead."

Nekonome looked positively frightened as she regarded the kitsune spirit. "Kuyou-san," she asked nervously, "what's happened to you?"

"What happens to all those Dracula no longer needs," the deceased PSC commander admitted.

Yukari cringed, as she remembered Ririko and Saizou had spoken the same thing before they were cast down. Her violet eyes went wide, as the thought of Tsukune in the same position crossed her mind. "No, you're wrong! We're gonna save Tsukune-san!"

The youkai spirit turned towards her. "And what if he doesn't wish to be saved? Will you still impose your will upon him?"

"Shut up! Tsukune-san isn't like you! He's kind and gentle and caring, desu!"

"Where was that kindness when the chairman was murdered," Kuyou asked. "Where was it when Akashiya-san laid dying on the floor outside the chairman's office?"

"How did you know of that," Moka demanded. "How is it you're even here?"

The deceased monster looked back to her. "You should know, remember how the curse first came upon me?"

The silver-haired woman gasped to herself, as looked to the gray cross on her chest. "The Rosario," she spoke, as her voice trailed off.

"Yes, I sought power over you, and through that, Dracula gained power over me. This fragment of my essence, created when I restored your seal, is all that remains of my existence."

Kurumu looked to him in disbelief. "You moron! _That's_ how you got cursed? Ugh, you made it too easy for him!"

"Precisely, I could not forgive you for what happened last year, and look at what happened."

"Shut up!" the incensed succubus shot back. "We didn't do anything wrong, nitwit! We were saving the school from you!"

"Yes, I held similar notions."

"It's not the same!" the cyan-haired girl blurted out. "It's not! We're nothing like you!" She turned away in a huff, and folded her arms under her large chest. "Michiru deserved better than you, she fought life and limb for your stupid cause and look what happened!"

"Take it easy," Mizore spoke up as she placed a cold hand on her friend's shoulder, "he's just trying to-" She stopped in mid-sentence as she looked into his eyes, and saw the intense sadness and remorse within, more than she'd seen from anyone else, even herself before she attempted suicide. She quickly looked away, mortified by what she'd witnessed.

"What, what is it," Yukari asked her peers, who refused to look at the shadowy form of Kuyou. She glanced at him, and also felt strong waves of shame as she looked into his eyes. She quickly turned away, shivering in fright. "Stop it!" she quipped in a nigh pleading voice. "Th-th-this is just another trick."

"And what would be the point of deceiving you now," the deceased kitsune asked sadly. "My body is dead, and my soul is doomed to eternal torment, just like my father before me."

"Because that's what all bullies do," the young witch retorted while her back was to him. "They love hurting people too much to stop."

"That's only until they meet someone stronger, and what becomes of them then?"

"Shut up!" the child prodigy snapped as she spun around towards him. "Stop trying to mess with our heads! We don't want to hear it!" She also began to cry, as she desperately tried to deny his words, and what she'd felt from him. Even though he acted nothing as he did in life, she still wanted to refute him.

Ruby walked over and held her fellow witch close to her. "Yukari-chan," she began softly, "what if he's right," she asked, which immediately got the younger girl's attention. "My Master never stopped hating humanity, and it destroyed her, and almost me as well. Kuyou never stopped hating us, and look what happened." She grimaced in sadness as she considered her deceased enemy's words. "And now, Tsukune-san can't stop hating Dracula, who knows what'll happen if he stays like this."

"But Tsukune-san's not like that!" the younger witch protested.

"Can you deny what we've already seen, Yukari-chan? He killed the chairman, and nearly killed Moka-san with his reckless use of power, all because he was blinded by hate." She rubbed her crying eyes as she pondered the future. "Tsukune-san is forgetting everything that made him so precious to us. And if we don't save him, he'll wind up just like the Master, Kuyou, and possibly become who he seeks to destroy.."

"What," Nekonome asked in shock. "Aono-kun?"

The incognito succubus also began to sob at that moment. "It's true, sensei. He caused that explosion the other day. And he laughed!" she all but wailed, still horrified as she remembered his face from that time. "He enjoyed it, he enjoyed destruction!" She looked to Kuyou, and quickly turned away, with bitter tears in her eyes.

"He laughed," Moka asked in disbelief. A look of blank shock appeared on her face, as she could've never imagined her close friend delighting in destruction and carnage. However, she couldn't have denied how much Dracula's power had corrupted him, and knew she could've suffered the same fate if she lost control.

"Aono-kun!" the feline teacher exclaimed as she began sobbing. Once she did, she felt herself in a strong yet warm embrace. She looked up, and saw the silver-haired woman had wrapped her long arms around her, an equally distraught look on her pale face. "Akashiya-san," she spoke sadly, touched that the tormented woman was still capable of compassion.

"Sensei," the female vampire replied in a barely audible voice. After several long moments, she released her teacher and turned to Kuyou with a solemn look. "You're right," she conceded. "It is pointless to condemn you, when Tsukune himself has shed blood. Blaming you doesn't change what he's done."

"A sin is a sin," Ruby added with a short nod, "regardless of who commits it. And holding a grudge will destroy you eventually, along with everything you once cared about."

Yukari finally saw the wisdom in their words, and bowed her head. "Yeah, I guess it really is pointless to hate someone who's already dead, all we're doing is keeping them alive in our hearts. If we cling to the past, we'll have no place in the future, desu." Her earring glowed slightly once she was finished.

"You're right," Mizore added sadly, "he can't hurt us anymore, or anyone else." She lightly shook her head, troubled by what she'd witnessed. "This must not happen to Tsukune, I would rather go to Hell myself than see him die like this," she concluded, as she glanced at the youkai spirit.

"Same here," Kurumu replied. "I chose Tsukune to help save my people, not destroy them, and definitely not enslave them!" She wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered fearfully as she remembered what happened in the dungeon. "I know he's better than this, but that makes it even more painful." She nodded sadly as she turned to Kuyou. "Yeah, it was easy to hate you, because we saw nothing different. To think you'd only realize your error in death." She then turned and embraced Michiru. "I'm so sorry," she began, "to think you actually had to watch him die."

"I know, I'm just glad I could've been with him in his last moments. No one should ever die alone." It was then that the incognito shadow creature felt a soft touch on her shoulder. She turned her head, and saw a long-fingered hand upon her. She followed up a long slender arm, and was surprised as she saw it belonged to Moka, who wore a sad smile on her pale face. "Akashiya-san," the PSC operative spoke in mild surprise.

"Michiru, if you wish to save Tsukune, then come with us. But please," she spoke in a soft yet firm voice, as she slightly tightened her grip, "do not betray our trust. I don't ever want to fight my friends again."

The dark-haired woman winced slightly at the increased pressure on her shoulder. She also saw the vampire's current emotional state, and knew there would've been consequences if she did undermine them, even though she had no such thoughts. "I won't, Akashiya-san. I'll fight until my dying breath to save Aono-san from this horrible fate."

"That's good to hear." She pulled the black-clad woman towards her and wrapped her slender yet powerful arms around her form. Even though she knew her counterpart distrusted her, she planned to give her the benefit of the doubt. She knew well they needed the help in their quest to save their close friend from Dracula's nefarious designs.

As she released her, she turned to the despondent spirit in the room. "Kuyou," she began, quiet determination in her voice, "I shall honor your last wish, I will save Tsukune. And," she continued, as she lowered her head for a moment, and then looked to him fully, "I forgive you."

The ghostly kistune solemnly bowed his head. "I am glad to hear that," he replied somberly. "Though it may be scant comfort compared to an eternity in the netherworld, I shall treasure it always. Farewell, Moka Akashiya."

And with those words, the shadowy figure dissipated into nothingness, and left behind no trace of his existence. The female vampire sighed as she felt the youkai's troubled soul had vanished, for she knew well that they would've never met again. As she pondered upon his fate, she noticed that the Rosario felt slightly warmer as it rested against her chest. She held it tightly, as she knew it meant he'd been freed from the cross, and thought of another soul who rested within the cursed artifact. "Ura-chan," she spoke to herself.

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door, which got everyone's attention. The older witch looked to the others, walked over and slid the door open. Standing outside the doorway was a bronze-skinned woman, clad in a chocolate brown business suit and matching slacks. Her curly blonde hair was done up behind her head, and she wore two crosses on her ears.

The silver and pink-haired woman immediately gasped, and her eyes went wide as she recognized the woman. "Nee-san," she asked.

"Ah, Moka-chan," the newcomer began in a sweet voice, "I thought that was your aura I felt earlier."

The younger vampire winced as she remembered her declaration a few minutes earlier. She could've imagined a miniature panic occurring at that moment, for she knew how intimidating her aura could've been. She quickly shook it off and looked to her older sister. "Why are you here, Nee-san," she asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

The tanned woman tilted her head to the side and gave her an embarrassed smile. "Straight to the point as always," she remarked. "I've actually missed that." She gracefully walked into the room, as the others made way for her. She stopped in front of the suspicious daiyoukai, and gently placed her hands on her shoulders. "Moka-chan," she began in a soft yet stern voice, "I need you to come with me. Lord Shuzen has commanded your presence."

The sophomore looked to her in horror, as did everyone else in the room.

* * *

Oh boy, looks like Shuzen's about to become very relevant, very quickly.

"What, are you suggesting I'm ever irrelevant? Who do you think you're talking to, human?"

"I think we'll find out soon enough."

"What you said, Mizore-chan."

Yeah, this looks it's gonna be some homecoming. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter III Journey to Apostasy.


	4. Part II Chapter III

A/N – Hello everyone, hope those of you still in school are enjoying your summer vacation. And those who aren't, well it'll be cooling down once we get through August.

"Um, has anyone seen Tsukune?"

"Don't worry, Moka-san, I'm right here."

"Tsukune!"

"Did someone call for me?"

"Tsukune?"

"Ah, there you are Moka-san. It's time to start the new chapter, right?"

"Tsukune, Tsukune, Tsukune, Tsukune."

"Oh great, Mizore-chan's lost it."

"Where did all these Tsukunes come from?"

"What, don't tell me you're complaining, Onee-chan."

"Kokoa, what is going on here? Why are there eight Tsukunes in the room?"

"Oh, that's simple. Haha-ue deduced the story was suffering due to the lack of Tsukune. I told her it was because the stupid author killed Onee-sama, but, she wasn't overly keen on that."

"Gee I wonder why."

"Anyway, she came up with the solution to create a few duplicates of that stupid human to appease the readers. Me personally, I've would've cloned Onee-sama, then I could have one every day of the week, month, and year. Oh, Onee-sama!"

"You mean your mother was behind this?"

"Yeah, she's too kind to dumb animals, don't you think?"

"What do you think you're doing you just spoiled my glorious debut you insufferable sack of protoplasm I have the right mind to discombobulate your quasitrons and reconfigure you into a paperweight even though I have a few thousand a girl can never have enough stuff!"

"AH! Run for your lives!"

Good thinking, Moka-san. And while I'm making my escape, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. Can't say more because I'm running for my life. Anyway on with the show.

"Get back here you knuckleheaded microbe before I reduce you to subatomic particles and reconstruct you as a new wind-up toy for my moderately useless daughters who are far superior to anything that emerged from the abhorrent womb of that unscrupulous slut Akasha who has no right to breathe the same air I do let alone be married to my wonderfully loving insanely powerful and divinely exquisite blood mate who's the most powerful being in existence which should be honored to be graced by his presence which makes every other lower lifeform beyond insignificant and I do say that with the utmost of respect not that anyone deserves it for they're just an annoyance to Issa-kun's supremely divine existence!"

"Are you causing trouble already, Gyokuro? And you haven't been introduced in the story yet. I swear, some people just can't get out of their own way. Anyway, while I'm restraining my, um, rival, I guess you could say, I hope everyone enjoys the coming chapter, and hopefully it has everything you're looking for. Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm. Enjoy."

Part II Chapter III  
Journey to Apostasy

Moka blinked her red and green eyes several times as she tried to process what her elder sister had relayed. "Chichiu-e," she asked uncertainly.

"Yes, he sent Pfaria-chan and myself to rescue you and Kokoa-chan. Don't worry," she spoke with a warm smile, and she embraced her sibling, "you're safe now."

The silver and pink-haired woman stiffened as she looked suspiciously at the older vampire. "Am I?"

The blonde woman released her and leaned back with a confused look. "What's that supposed to mean," she asked in a slightly insulted tone.

"I know you better than that, Kahlua. Whenever you're involved, it's never to 'rescue' anyone," she finished with a hard stare.

The elder Shuzen turned away, visibly upset by her sister's cynical demeanor.

"Moka-san," Yukari asked nervously.

"What's going on, Moka," Kurumu asked as she looked suspiciously at the newcomer.

"Is, Akashiya-san in some sort of, trouble," Nekonome asked warily, quite intimidated by the taller woman's aura, which clearly identified her as a vampire.

"No!" the older vampire spoke repeatedly as she spun around and rapidly waved her hands in front of her. "You people have it all wrong, Lord Shuzen is simply worried about his daughter and arranged for her safe return to his castle. That's all, really!"

"You're trying too hard," Mizore noted dryly.

The woman in brown turned and gave her a questioning look. "You think so?"

"And what's with the disguise," Moka asked with a disapproving glance, which mirrored that of her alternate persona, "is that how a royal vampire should present themselves?"

Kahlua giggled in self-deprecation, as she turned back to her sibling. "Yes, I know it's not my usual attire," she began with an embarrassed smile. "But," she continued with a wary look as she glanced off to the side, "I did some thinking a few days ago, and, uh, I realized it was a bit ostentatious for everyday wear, so I thought I'd dress down so I wouldn't attract so much attention," she concluded with a chagrined smile.

The younger vampire looked decidedly unconvinced by her sister's explanation.

"She wore it into a human bar and wound up starting a brawl," a coarse female voice spoke from outside the room. "What do you expect when you prance about the human world in that get-up."

The blonde woman spun around and glared at the doorway. "Nee-san, that was uncalled for!"

"So was coming to the bar."

"I was trying to save your life!" Kahlua shot back with an annoyed look. "Have some gratitude that your little onee-chan went out of her way to find you!"

"I didn't ask to be found," the stranger's voice retorted, as a tall woman in a black leather jacket walked into the room. She wore a red and black bandanna covered her head of short pink hair, and a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. She leaned against the side of the doorway, a deep scowl on her face.

Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore's expressions darkened at the newcomer's presence, while Ruby looked quite intimidated, as well as a bit confused at her friend's reactions. Nekonome cringed in response at the woman's aura, as well as her crass demeanor. Her ears shot up as she regarded her, along with her tail. "Shuzen-san," she asked nervously.

The leather-clad stranger growled at her, which made the feline teacher scamper away timidly.

Moka's face went blank with shock as she looked to the pink-haired woman. "Aneue," she asked, barely able to recognize the brooding figure in the doorway, "is that you?" She cautiously walked forward and stopped in front of the newcomer. "Aneue, where have you been? Haha-ue's been worried sick about you."

The older vampire made no response, no indication that she'd even heard the sophomore girl.

"Aneue," the teenager asked, a hurt expression on her face as she motioned to herself with her elongated fingers, "don't you remember me? It's me, Moka."

Again, there was a sullen silence from the taller woman, her expression concealed behind her shades.

"Eh, Pfaria-san," Nekonome asked warily, and cringed as she expected a harsh rebuke, but relaxed somewhat when she received none. "Um, your sister was speaking to you just now," she continued as a light shiver shot up her spine. "Didn't you hear her?"

The taller woman's brooding gaze slowly turned in the feline teacher's direction. "So you've bought into this scam as well," she asked in a clearly contemptuous tone. "Pathetic, didn't take you long to grow senile, did it? Must be the hair."

The older youkai's ears flattened against her head, as she mewed indignantly, yet also timidly.

"Aneue!" an incensed Moka snapped. "Don't you dare talk like that to sensei! What did she ever do to you?"

Kahlua glared at her older sibling, visibly insulted by her earlier remarks. On the other side of the room, the other girls also glared at Pfaria, as they remembered her brawl with Tsukune the day before. They were barely able to fight down their murderous intent, else they might've attracted her attention. However, the pink-haired woman showed no remorse as she failed to return their glances.

With an enraged hiss, the sophomore girl grabbed the taller woman by the shoulder and turned her in her direction. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" she demanded, her voice cracking like a whip. "What's gotten into you, Pfaria? What would Haha-ue think if she saw you acting like this?"

Again, her sibling made no response, which began to truly infuriate Moka.

"What's going on here," a woman's voice demanded from outside the doorway. Everyone turned and watched as another pink-haired woman entered the room, a fierce expression on her pale countenance. Her head spun to the side as she saw the leather-clad youkai. "You!" she began in a hissing voice.

"Well well well," the eldest of the four sisters remarked casually as she cast a sidelong glance to the newcomer, "what brings you here, old bat?"

"Don't you use that tone of voice with me," the older woman spoke sharply as she pointed her index finger in her inquirer's face, "or have you forgotten what happened last time you dared bare your fangs at me?"

"And look what's happened since. You fled the castle with your tail between your legs, posed as a human and hid behind a cushy little desk job."

"Aneue!" Moka snapped. "Take that back at once!"

Pfaria ignored the sophomore's demands and turned her gaze towards her mother. "You can make believe you're one of them all you want, but that's all it is, make believe. One day you'll be exposed for who you really are, whatever will you do then?"

"Don't you patronize me!" the elder vampire shot back. "And don't you _dare_ judge me! I am a hard-working mother and upstanding member of the community, more than I can say for an ungrateful child whose gone out of her way to betray everything I'd entrusted her!" She narrowed the distance between them and peered straight into the taller woman's shaded eyes. "How do you have the unmitigated gall to show your face again after what you've done?"

The silver-haired woman looked to her mother, confusion and worry etched into her face. "Haha-ue," she asked nervously, "what's going on here?"

"Ah, Akasha-san," Kahlua spoke up happily as she approached the older vampire, "it's been too long. So nice to see you again."

The pink-haired woman's intense gaze turned to her stepchild. "The name is Ayumu Akashiya," she spoke sternly, "you will address me as such."

The younger vampire looked quite disappointed by her response, glanced at her older sister and finally back to the incognito countess. "As you wish," she conceded, "however, it's still so good to finally see you again."

"Why are you here," Ayumu demanded, "have you come to kill my daughter?"

"Wh-wh-wh-what," Kahlua blurted out, "no, no, nothing of the sort, Akash- um, Ayumu-san. We only came here to bring Moka-chan and Kokoa-chan home," she explained with tightly shut eyes and a nervous smile, "really, that's it! There's no need for you to fear for your daughter's safety, she'll be in good hands, honestly!" she concluded as she raised her hands, desperately trying to placate the incensed woman.

The lawyer gazed intensely at her, clearly unconvinced by the explanation she'd received.

"You're right, Mizore-chan," Kurumu spoke into the yuki onna's ear as she leaned towards her, "she is trying too hard."

"You think so, too?"

"Definitely," the succubus replied in a low, suspicious voice, "she's hiding something."

The second eldest of the four sisters sighed gravely as she solemnly bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Ayumu-san, believe me when I tell you Lord Shuzen has no desire to see his children harmed. His orders were to bring them home safely, that's all." She opened her eyes and noted the dubious glance her stepmother gave her. "Alright," she conceded, "them, and a student here named Tsukune Aono. Those were the entirety of his orders."

"What does Lord Shuzen want with Tsukune-san," Ruby asked with a distrustful expression. The others cast similar glances at the blonde vampire.

"Oh, do you know him," Kahlua asked as she turned to the dark-haired woman.

"I am Board Chairman Mikogami's personal assistant, Ruby Toujyou. It's my business to know the students at this academy."

The woman in the brown suit raised her eyebrows as she regarded the older witch. "I see," she noted. "Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to reveal His Lordship's intentions for Aono-san."

"Then we'll just have to ask him directly," Mizore spoke up.

"Wait a minute!" Kahlua interrupted. "His Lordship summoned his daughters and Aono-san only. I'm afraid the rest of you weren't invited."

"Who says they weren't," Moka asked, and then turned to the others. "You are all coming with me to my castle," she spoke in a commanding, imperial voice. "I expect you to be on your best behavior for Chichiu-e, be grateful for the honor I've bestowed upon you."

"Says you!" Kurumu shot back defiantly. "I'm not going to no spook house, and you can't make me!"

Without another word, the silver and pink-haired woman turned and unleashed a rising kick which sent the incognito succubus through the ceiling with a loud crash, as pieces of debris fell onto the floor, and startled cries were heard from the floor above.

The sophomore turned to the others, who were stunned by what they'd just witnessed. "Anyone else wish to challenge me," she asked in a cool, menacing voice.

Mizore and Yukari rigorously shook their heads, while Ruby and Michiru looked on in blank shock.

"Good," the daiyoukai spoke with a pleasant yet vicious grin which exposed her deadly fangs, "so nice we understand one another." She then looked out the corner of her eye towards her older sister. "I trust this is, acceptable."

Kahlua exhaled irritably as she shook her head of blonde hair. "His Lordship won't be pleased, Moka-chan," she pointed out.

"If he disapproves, he can discuss the matter with me," her younger sister replied as she looked out the corner of her eye towards her. "Believe me, we have much to discuss."

The woman in brown looked suspiciously at her sibling, as she narrowed her blood-red eyes accordingly. She then placed her slender hand over her right eye, and glanced briefly at Ayumu as she felt she'd gotten a better understanding of what the elder vampire had endured during her time raising her daughters. "Teenagers," she spoke under her breath.

"What's wrong," Pfaria asked her immediate sister, "don't tell me you're afraid for the old man."

"Not another word!" Kahlua retorted heatedly as she pointed at the taller woman.

"Heh, if they wanna come along, I got plenty of room. It's their funeral, though, you know much the old man loves beating up little girls." She turned her shaded gaze towards Yukari. "And the younger, the better."

The sophomore hid behind her fellow witch, terrified at the concept.

"Silence!" the blonde vampire snapped. "Don't you start spreading malicious lies Chichiu-e! And you are not bringing Moka-chan back to the castle inside that clunker of yours!"

"Winnie is not a clunker!" the leather-clad youkai shot back. "She runs just fine, thank you very much."

Ayumu's head sharply turned towards the pink-haired woman. "Winnie," she asked suspiciously, "as in Winnebago? One that's rusted out and has a Texas license plate?"

"What's it to you," Pfaria asked her mother with a sidelong glance.

"Good question," the lawyer asked as she folded her arms under her chest, "how about the fact you drove it to Azinu Elementary School in broad daylight and killed everyone inside, then escaped through the tunnel system."

"_**WHAT?**_" Moka asked incredulously, and then turned to her older sister. "Aneue, you didn't!"

Yukari clung tightly to Ruby, even more fearful of the oldest of the four vampire sisters. The dark-haired woman looked hatefully at the youkai in question, as killing intent began to well up within her. Mizore's hands transformed on instinct, and her hair changed color in response.

Pfaria's scowl turned even more contemptuous as she regarded her birth mother. "You really think that was _my_ doing," she asked in an exasperated tone. "T'ch, you've gotten even more senile than I thought. I don't kill people a third my size, unlike the old man. Hmph, how the mighty have fallen," she continued as she looked away, a slight twinge of disappointment intermixed with her more prominent scorn. "I remember when you were once one of the most powerful women in the whole youkai world, who dreamed of changing the way youkai and humans interacted with one another." She looked back to the elder Akashiya, whose gaze had become seething, even more than that of her unsealed younger daughter. "Now you're just a bitter old crone," the leather-clad youkai continued, "pretending to be a burned-out career woman who's given up on her dreams and her children."

Ayumu twisted her body to the left and unleashed an immense backhanded fist across the taller woman's face, which spun her completely around, yet didn't take her off her feet. Pfaria stood in place for a few moments, and then absently rubbed the side of her face. The others were thunderstruck by what they'd just behind her towards the incensed attorney.

"What's wrong," the more abrasive vampire asked, "did I hit a nerve?"

"Not another word," the elder woman retorted in a dangerous hissing voice, as waves of murderous intent flowed from her body, "or so help me you won't leave this room alive. I won't have you making a mockery of me anymore, and I won't let you threaten my daughter!"

"**I** am your daughter," Pfaria shot back as she turned around and pointed her right index finger in her enraged mother's face, "in case you conveniently forgot! And if you're playing into this pathetic hoax then it proves you don't care about your own children! You'd rather live a lie than face the facts, just like a typical vampire."

"I don't know you," Ayumu retorted with a disgusted scowl. Before she could've elaborated further, she winced as she felt a crushing grip on her throat.

"Enough of your lies," the taller woman growled menacingly as she strangled the incognito countess. "I'm the one you embarrassed with your prancing around the castle like a slut, day in and day out for over twenty agonizing years. _I'm_ the one you brought into the human world for weeks at a time for a stupid dream _you_ don't even believe in anymore. **I'm** the one you sent to this hellhole of a school, which is nothing more than a smoking ruin now." She lifted her mother off the ground and then brought her close to her face. "So don't you **dare** say you don't know me!"

"Know your place!" the elder vampire shouted, as she nailed her daughter flush on the jaw with a crushing right cross.

Pfaria's head snapped to the side from the attack, but she retained her stranglehold. "Oh that is it," she spoke menacingly as she turned her gaze back towards her opponent. She then spun her around, wrapped her right arm under her mother's throat, bound her left arm with her own, and drove her knee into her back with increasing force. "I am going to _**END YOU!**_" the leather-clad youkai screamed at the top of her lungs. "_**RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!**_"

Moka immediately sprung into action, spun around and drove her bare foot drove itself into the left side of her sister's face, which knocked her head to the side but nothing more. Though she was admittedly shocked that her kick had no effect on Pfaria, she strove to contain her chagrin, as her alternate persona would've done.

Around that time, a familiar cyan-haired girl dropped down the hole in the ceiling and landed feet first on the floor.

"Kurumu-san!" the younger witch exclaimed, happy that her friend had returned.

"Yukari-chan," the incognito succubus replied, as she rubbed the top of her head, "what did I miss?"

"That," Mizore interjected, as she pointed towards the scuffle in the middle of the room.

The voluptuous teenager looked on, and saw Moka with her leg outstretched after she'd clearly unleashed a side kick. Her opponent was surprisingly still standing after the attack, her head tilted to the side. "What the hecht," the sophomore asked with a horrified look. "Is she some kinda robot or something?"

"Cybernetic organism," the yuki onna replied, "machines have feelings too, you know."

"Moka-san's older sister is a robot," Yukari asked with a confused look.

"Yeah, one who needs their personality components recalibrated."

The silver and pink-haired woman hissed and flashed her fangs at them, which quickly silenced their disrespectful conversation. She then looked back to her sister, who slowly turned her brooding gaze towards her.

"You wanna start something," Pfaria began in a low menacing voice, "kid?"

"Release Haha-ue," Moka demanded with her fangs exposed, and her eyes glowing menacingly, "or I won't hold back."

"Go ahead and try."

"Moka-chan," the stricken woman managed, touched by her daughter's courage.

"Stop it!" Kahlua shouted as she got between the incensed sisters. "Pfaria, release Ayumu-san at once, or I won't forgive you anymore!"

"Hmph," the eldest sister remarked dismissively, as she removed her knee from her mother's back, released her neck and shoulder, and then pushed her into one of the walls with a resounding thud.

The blonde woman looked incensed at what happened to her stepmother, and then approached her older sister, fury written all over her tanned face. "Pfaria Shuzen you have gone _**TOO FAR**_ this time!" she snapped. "I hoped you'd come around when you saw Moka-chan again, not to mention your mother, and **this** is how you behave yourself? **This** is how you repay Ayumu-san for all the time and energy she's put into raising you? That's it!" she declared, as she lashed out to the side. "I'm not covering for you anymore! Once we get back I am holding you personally answerable to Lord Shuzen! And next time you get into a bind, you can get yourself out, because I won't help you!"

"I don't need your help," the leather-clad youkai remarked callously, and then turned and headed out the doorway.

"Get back here!" the younger vampire shouted, but soon saw her words had gone unheeded. With a frustrated sigh, she turned back to the sophomore girl. "I'm sorry, Moka-chan," she spoke mournfully, "I really hoped she'd come back to us. But it seems it was all for naught." She walked forward and embraced her younger sister, as tears streamed from her crimson irises. "It wasn't supposed to be this way," she spoke through her sobs.

"No, Neesan," the student replied sternly, which got her sister's attention. "This is my fight."

Kahlua looked to her in disbelief. "Do you have any idea what you're saying," she asked worriedly, Moka-chan, you can't challenge Pfaria-chan, she's too powerful. His Lordship would never approve of you endangering yourself so recklessly."

Before the younger vampire could've responded, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. She turned, and saw the form of her mother beside her, no worse for wear after her altercation with her eldest daughter.

"Is that a promise," the incognito countess asked of her child.

The female youkai looked nervously at the pink-haired woman, for she knew she was being put on the spot on that juncture. After a few moments, she exhaled slowly as she released her concerns. "Yes, Haha-ue," she spoke in a soft yet confident, "I'll take care of Pfaria-aneue for you."

Ayumu gave her a sad smile, and then pulled her into a warm embrace. "Splendid, I'm so glad to hear that."

"Haha-ue."

Kahlua looked to her stepmother in disbelief. "What are you thinking," she asked incredulously. "Have you lost your mind? You of all people should know how strong Pfaria-aneue is, Moka-chan has no chance! If she tries to fight her she'll be killed! How can you consider that, Ayumu-san?"

The pink-haired woman looked seriously at the incredulous vampire before her. "Long ago my daughter made me an important promise," she began. "She said if Pfaria ever lost her way, she'd set her straight, so I wouldn't have to." She looked back to Moka with a warm smile. "And now, the time for the fulfillment of that promise has finally come." She then turned her elated countenance towards her stepchild. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me as a mother. I hope you become one yourself, so you too can experience this joy."

The blonde woman stammered over her words for several seconds, as she found it difficult to coherently verbalize her response. Moka couldn't help but giggle at how flustered her older sister had become, and was elated that her mother supported her decision. "_Ura-chan,_" she thought to herself as she looked down to her Rosario, "_you made that promise, didn't you? Don't worry, I'll take care of Pfaria-aneue for you._"

After a few moments, the elder Shuzen got herself under control, and vigorously shook her head. "You're making a terrible mistake," she replied as she held the side of her face. "No matter her motivations, the difference in power is simply too great. She'll be throwing her life away for nothing, I don't understand how you as a mother could consider risking that." She sighed gravely and ruefully bowed her head. "But I must go now, I really can't afford to leave Pfaria-chan to her own devices, not until we return to Chichiu-e. Please meet us at the parking lot when you're ready."

"We will," Moka replied with a quiet boldness in her voice.

Kahlua gave her a sad smile, then turned and silently made her way out of the room.

The silver and pink-haired woman sighed gravely as her sister departed. Though she was certain Kahlua had been honest with her, for the most part, her presence always made her feel uneasy, and it was no different at that point in time. She then looked back to her friends, who were still reeling inside after what just occurred. "Everyone, go on ahead," she spoke succinctly, "I'll catch up with you."

"Sure thing, Moka-san!" Yukari agreed happily.

"Don't take too long," Mizore added with a wry smirk, " we still have a nutcase to track down."

"Trust me," the sophomore vampire replied with a dark smile, "I haven't forgotten."

"Glad to hear it."

The others began to file out of the room. Moka's oddly colored eyes locked onto the feline teacher as she headed for the door. "Sensei, wait," she called out.

The blonde youkai stopped and looked back nervously at her pupil. "Um, yes Akashiya-san?"

"You knew Aneue, didn't you?"

Nekonome hummed to herself and nodded. "Yes, she was in my homeroom," she began as she warily headed back, "many years ago."

The female vampire met her halfway, as she brought up her fist under her chin, and covered it with her free hand. "Please, tell me about her."

The feline teacher looked curiously at her pupil, somewhat taken aback by her more vulnerable demeanor. She knew the silver and pink-haired woman had a split personality, and wasn't sure which was in control at the moment. Her voice sounded like her more mature and aggressive self, though her actions reflected her meeker side. Regardless, she could tell there was severe tension between her and her older sister, and sought to relieve her anxiety. "Certainly, Akashiya-san."

Moka gave her a beaming smile, and while her mother's was more reserved, it was the first time she'd smiled in her recent memory.

* * *

Some time later, Nekonome headed down to the intensive care section of the hospital. Along the way she heard intense screaming from one of the rooms, which immediately frightened her. She looked through the window, and saw several students being treated for severe injuries. She wondered if something terrible had occurred, and then noted the familiar PSC uniforms on some of the patients. She then recalled how several members of the student police attempted to arrest Ayumu Akashiya, with clearly disastrous results. The most severely injured had his face bandaged up, along with his ribs, as well as a broken arm and leg, and wore a neck brace on top of everything else.

Nekonome saw a nurse nearby, who ruefully shook her head as she regarded the injured youkai. "Finally, he fell asleep," she spoke, unaware that her words had reached the feline teacher's sensitive ears. "What was he thinking, trying to arrest another vampire. You'd think he would've known better after he got put through a wall yesterday." She looked down to the unconscious patient, her features imperceptible from the blonde woman's vantage point. "You're lucky the Chairman is very patient, Kelberoso-san, but you'd best not press your luck again, because I doubt the third time will be the charm."

The comatose officer unsurprisingly made no response.

Nekonome turned away and headed further down the hall. She looked inside another room and saw a heavily bandaged woman lying unconscious in bed, hooked up to a highly advanced life support system. She was all but unrecognizable with most of her body, and even her eyes covered in protective gauze. However, the feline teacher noted the rise and fall of the woman's large bosom, and the auburn hair that graced her fair head. A despondent look crossed the blonde woman's face as her green slitted irises regarded the unconscious patient.

"_This is what happens to those Dracula no longer needs,_" the haunting voice of Kuyou spoke within the youkai's mind.

The short woman gasped in shock from the voice, as she recalled his words from earlier. She bent over slightly, and held her face in her slender hands, as she began to cry over the patient's fate. "Kagome."

* * *

A couple of hours later, Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, Ruby, and Michiru had reconvened outside the girls' dormitory. The two witches and the yuki onna were clad in their usual attire, while the incognito succubus had opted for a white short-sleeved blouse. Her rose brooch held her collar shut, but some of the lower buttons were strained by the swell of her bosom. She wore a black string tie around her neck, and the usual academy skirt. Her knee-high loose fitting socks were unchanged, as well as her shoes. The former PSC officer still wore the colors of her outfit, though she had on loose haori pants, along with a thick gi, bound at the waist by a golden belt. All of the girls had brought extra clothes and other necessities for their journey, evident by the bags they carried, save for Yukari and Ruby.

"Are we really ready for this," Kurumu asked with a nervous twinge as she looked about the area, and saw several students headed for the bus stop. "Once we leave, we might not come back."

"We've been together for so long," the youngest of the group spoke up sadly, "we can't let it end like this, desu. We have to save Tsukune-san, life will never be the same without him."

"Indeed," her fellow witch replied with a solemn nod of her head. "He brought us all together, and made such strides towards the realization of Mikogami-sama's dream. Now that the academy's future is uncertain, we must all band together to save Tsukune-san, and stop Dracula's sinister plans."

"And it all begins in the House of Apostasy," the purple-haired student spoke in a mysterious voice, "where division shall rule the day."

"Eh, come again," the cyan-haired girl asked with a peculiar look.

"Are you alright, Mizore-chan," the young witch asked quizzically.

The yuki onna looked to the others, confusion in her icy blue eyes. She blinked a few times as a realization came to her. "Oh gosh, did I say that?" She smiled ruefully as she shook her head. "Sorry, didn't mean to get weird on you."

"It's alright," Yukari replied reassuringly, "really. Tell me, was that some sort of prophecy?"

"Yes," the pale girl replied with a relieved smile, "one I received in my dreams last night."

Before she could've elaborated further, they felt a powerful aura nearby, coupled with surprised reactions from nearby students, who'd clearly sensed it as well. A few moments later, a familiar figure strode through the doors that led outside the dormitory. Her long well-toned legs, completely exposed by her academy skirt, carried her forward in a graceful yet powerful manner. Her green jacket tightly hugged her exquisite form, and her white blouse was opened enough to reveal a substantial amount of cleavage. A darkened gray cross with an onyx jewel in the center rested against her sizable chest. Her long silver locks, intermixed with pink, flowed behind her with each step. Her eyes were closed as she proceeded forward, and she had a large black bag slung over her right shoulder.

The newcomer stopped in front of the other girls, and then opened her slitted crimson and emerald irises. "Thanks for waiting," she began with a warm smile, "I appreciate all of you accompanying me to Chichi-ue's castle, that really means a lot to me."

"Don't you mean _your _castle," Mizore asked with a peculiar look.

The female vampire chuckled to herself, then looked sadly to the cyan-haired girl. "Are you alright, Kurumu," she asked in concern. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you back there."

"I'm fine, Moka," the incognito succubus replied happily, "that was all part of the act, right? To get your sisters to agree to bring us along?"

A sweatdrop ran down the side of the daiyoukai's head as she gave her a wincing smile. "Darn, you found me out. But thanks for playing along, that really means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," Kurumu replied as she absently rubbed the top of her cranium. "But please, don't make it a habit. I like my head still attached, thank you very much."

"Us too," Mizore added as she held her own head. She then tilted her head to the side as she regarded her friend's attire. "Are you sure about that, Moka," she asked curiously, "I'd have thought you'd wear something more, extravagant for your father."

The female vampire chuckled to herself as she gave the yuki onna a small grin. "I have my reasons," she replied simply. "Shall we depart, we mustn't keep Chichiu-e waiting."

"You're enjoying this too much."

The sophomore giggled to herself. "Guilty as charged. Shall we," she asked, as she motioned in the direction of the parking lot.

"Let's do this, desu," Yukari piped in with a determined look.

* * *

The girls proceeded to the academy parking lot, where they focused on three cars in particular. One was a conservative tan-colored Honda Accord, which Moka knew belonged to her mother, who awaited near the vehicle. Next to it was a candy apple red Nissan Skyline GT-R sports car, which was watched over by Kahlua, who wore an anxious look as she saw her sister and her friends approaching her. On the end was a rusted out Winnebago which had clearly seen better days. Leaning against the near derelict vehicle was the familiar form of Pfaria, whose sullen expression remained unchanged since they first met her.

"You're late," the oldest of the four sisters remarked casually.

"Chichiu-e is patient," the sophomore replied with an indifferent flick of her hair, "a few minutes won't kill him."

"_A few minutes,_" Kahlua thought nervously to herself, "_we're a __**day**_ _late! He's gonna have our heads for this. Oh, I hope he's in a good mood when we arrive. Please, Moka-chan, don't do anything to upset Chichiu-e, I don't think my tender nerves can take it._"

Ayumu walked forward and stopped as her daughter turned towards her. "Moka-chan," she spoke urgently, "please take care while you're visiting your father. It's all but definite he's not taking this well."

"I will, Haha-ue," the younger Akashiya replied with an affectionate smile. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

"That would be too easy," the incognito countess replied with a dark smirk. "I want my arrival to be a surprise for your father. Just keep this on hand," she finished with a devious glint in her eyes as she slipped an ornate silver ring with an ancient crest engraved within onto her daughter's finger. "I promise I'll be right over."

The vampiric student gave her mother a devious grin of her own, which exposed her deadly fangs. "I'll be waiting," she replied sweetly, though there was a rather sinister tone in her voice.

Pfaria watched the exchange with a suspicious look. Though she couldn't make out their words, their mannerisms were easily interpreted. "What are you up to this time, old bat," she called out irritably. "Don't try anything funny or it's gonna be you and me."

Kahlua groaned in chagrin, as she covered her tanned forehead with her slender hand. "This is going to be a very long day," she remarked with little enthusiasm.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Winnebago and the sports car disappeared into the tunnel that led from the academy. Ayumu watched from the cliff, a concerned look on her ageless face. "Take care, Moka-chan," she spoke warily. "Your quest begins at your father's abode. But don't worry, I wouldn't let that fiasco happen again." She clenched her fist under her chin, which bore a new ring similar to the one she gave Moka. "Never again."

* * *

Meanwhile, the demolished ruins of the law office of Ayumu Akashiya continued to smolder, surprisingly unseen by the outside world, which proceeded forward, unaware of the tragedy that had just occurred. Barely ten minutes earlier, a mysterious band in black suits stormed the building and took everyone hostage. All attempts to contact the authorities were squelched, as the phones were suddenly inoperative. The invaders planted high-powered explosives in the boiler room, which detonated a few seconds after the band had departed, which effectively decimated the building and killed all but everyone inside.

One of the survivors, badly burned and covered with smoke, was dragged towards a slender man with long light green hair which framed his thin effeminate face. He peered down his nose towards his captive, a look of sheer disdain on his face.

"Why," the wounded lawyer asked with a pained look, "why are you doing this?"

"God does not need to explain Himself to mere mortals," the seemingly delicate man began in a haughty superior tone, "His existence justifies His actions, regardless if you understand or not."

"But, I have a family back home," the frightened woman pleaded, "you can't, you can't do this!"

"Oh but I can. Ayumu Akashiya has committed treason, this does not please God." He reached out and held his prisoner's chin with his slender fingers. "And if you desire even the slightest amount of His mercy, not that you deserve it, you will tell God where she is."

"I don't know," the prisoner replied desperately, "she hasn't been seen since yesterday!"

"Such a pity," the sinister being replied dismissively. "No matter, your fate shall be the same as hers, the same as all who dare defy God and live amongst filthy humans."

"H-h-h-humans," the captive asked fearfully, "what are you?"

"I am God, and I have come to punish those who hide amongst your vile kind," he continued, as he held his hand out. One of the black-clad men reached into his jacket, produced a shotgun, and placed it in his superior's hand. "All who defy God shall suffer His eternal wrath!" he declared, as he pulled back the hammer and aimed the gun at the prisoner's forehead. "Coexistence, ha! It's nothing more than a fairy tale!" With his last words, he pulled the trigger and watched in satisfaction as a bullet-sized hole appeared on the woman's forehead, her face frozen in shock as blood ran down her face. She was released, and allowed to collapse lifelessly onto the ground.

"Let this be an example," the light green-haired man declared with an extravagant gesture as he looked skywards, "of the folly of opposing God!" He then returned the gun to his underling, who quickly removed it from his grasp and backed away.

"Geez," one of the men in black muttered, "you think Kamiya-sama is hamming this up too much?"

"Quiet!" one of his cohorts whispered urgently. "You want God-sama to hear you?"

"I'm with him," a third man interjected. "Kamiya-sama's spent too much time around that old bat at headquarters, now he's about seven short of a six-pack."

"Enough of this chattering," the lanky man spoke sternly to his subordinates, "it does not please God. Any more of your irritating noise, and you shall bear witness to the power of His voice."

The underlings cringed in response and groaned fearfully as they regarded their leader.

At that moment, the sound of a heavy metal tune came from his pocket. He reached in with his long fingers, produced his cellphone and brought it to his ear. "This is God."

"We just finished up at the Akashiya residence," a gruff male voice spoke from the other end, "the portable barrier generators worked perfectly. No one knows this place is a smoking hole in the ground now."

"Was she there?"

"Afraid not, God-sama, looks like she never came home last night. No sign of her car or anything."

"Fall back and head for the rendezvous point," he commanded in a monotone voice. "God shall give further instruction then."

"Understood."

The line went dead, and the thin man placed his phone back in his pocket. He then turned to his subordinates, who anxiously awaited his next plan of action. "Place a lookout at the dimensional tunnel," he began authoritatively. "Once she returns, we'll be waiting for her."

"Sir," one of the braver underlings asked, "how do you know she's in the youkai world?"

"There is only one other place that would welcome her," the sinister being replied with a malevolent smile, "Youkai Academy. But once she returns, we'll be waiting for her. She shall hear God's voice and be happy, and embrace death." He began with a low chuckle, which escalated into maniacal laughter. His subordinates backed away, grateful that the barrier generators were still operational, lest their vile deeds be exposed to the outside world, which continued on regardless.

* * *

A loud ringing sound pierced the air, which made Tsukune wince in pain. He habitually threw his arm over, and his hand touched a familiar plastic surface. He groaned wearily, as he slowly opened his brown eyes. Once he did, he found himself looking up at a familiar ceiling. He looked over to his left, and found the nightstand of his dorm room, upon which was the familiar alarm clock, which he'd already deactivated. He immediately sat up, and looked about the disturbingly familiar area around him.

"What the," he began with a confused look, "is this my room? How did I get here?" At that moment, an intense migraine came over him, stronger than he'd ever experienced in his young life. It forced him back onto the bed, as the intense pain shot through his mind. And just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended in the same fashion.

Tsukune groaned in pain as he sat back up. "What on earth was that?" He still held his temples, as he slowly strove to regain his bearings. After a few moments, he looked down at himself, and found he currently wore his gray sweatpants and white T-shirt, like he'd always worn to bed. "When did I get changed," he asked himself. "Last thing I remember was, getting absorbed into that weird light." He slid his legs over the side of the bed, and got to his feet. "What happened to the others," he asked himself as looked about the room, and then bowed his head. "Moka-san."

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his mind, as he cried out and held the sides of his head. Within his mind, he saw the image of a darkened hallway. Within it he saw a silver-haired woman, screaming in pain as a satanic energy erupted from within in her, and began to alter her physical form. The entire scene made Tsukune gasp in horror. "No!" he exclaimed, aghast at what he'd witnessed. "Moka-san!"

He immediately ran from his room without freshening up and ran barefoot down to the first floor, as he sped by bewildered students who looked on in confusion at the dashing youth. The human student burst out the front doors and headed outside, as his bare feet beat against the ground. When he finally stopped, he saw a large gathering students who were out of uniform and headed towards the bus stop, each holding some form of duffel bag or suitcase. They stopped and looked in his direction. The brown-haired youth stammered for a few moments, quite embarrassed with all the eyes upon him.

"Tsukune!" a girl's voice cried out, coupled with hurried footsteps. The student turned, and saw a familiar pink-haired girl, clad in a light tan dress with a moderately-cut bodice and a frilled hem. Her heeled shoes graced her slender feet which carried her towards him.

"Moka-san," the brown-haired youth spoke.

The female vampire stopped in front of him, and leaned over slightly to catch her breath. "Tsukune, are you alright," she asked worriedly.

The human student looked at her for several moments, then to himself, and laughed in chagrin as he realized how foolish he looked at the moment. But then he recalled the number of students headed away from the school, and turned back to the pink-haired girl before him. "Moka-san, what's going on? Where is everyone going?"

The sophomore girl sighed mournfully as she closed her emerald eyes. "The school is being closed down," she began somberly. "Everyone is headed home." She sniffled to herself, and then opened her downcast eyes. "I never wanted it to end like this, Tsukune. I'm afraid, that I might not ever see you again!" she wailed, as wrapped her slender arms around her friend's torso. "I don't want to be away from you," she continued in a dreamy voice, "from your warm scent, your delicious blood," she went on, as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth.

"_How did I know she'd bring that up,_" the young man thought ruefully. "Wait, Moka-san!"

"_CAPU CHUUUUUUUU!_"

Tsukune wailed as he felt his blood being drained. "Moka-san, stop that! I am not a juice box!"

"Let him go!" a girl's voice demanded.

Moka released her hold, only to be drilled into the ground by two feet from an unseen yet hardly unknown individual. Tsukune barely had a chance to react before his head was pulled into a very familiar position.

"Darn that Moka," the same voice remarked indignantly, "always trying to suck the life out of my Tsukune. He is _my_ Mate of Fate, he deserves better than to be used just for sustenance. Don't you, Tsukune," the unseen girl spoke sweetly.

"Kurumu-chan," the ensnared student mumbled as his head was still buried in the incognito succubus' chest.

"Oh Tsukune, I don't want to be separated from you, I want to live the rest of my life with you. Come home with me, Kaa-san will be delighted to see you again.

Tsukune blushed, and blood ran from his nose as he remembered his last encounter with Ageha Kurono. Suddenly, a loud metallic banging noise was heard, and the stricken youth was freed once more. Once he caught his breath, he saw the cyan-haired girl face down on the ground, with a large washing basin atop her head.

"Stupid narcissistic boob freak," a little girl's indignant voice quipped. "Always trying to exploit my Tsukune." Suddenly, a pair of small arms tightly encircled the confused student's waist. "Tsukune, you can't leave us!" the same voice wailed. "Please come home and meet Mama-san and Papa-san, and don't forget to bring Moka-san either! It wouldn't be the same without either of you!"

"Yukari-chan," the human student spoke warily, as he immediately recognized the voice, along with the young witch who embraced him tightly.

Without warning, the short girl was encased in ice, and Tsukune was released again.

"You cannot leave us, Tsukune," a familiar voice spoke, coupled with an icy presence.

The brown-haired youth screamed and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Don't do that, Mizore-chan!" he exclaimed, as he turned and saw the yuki onna directly behind him.

"There's no need to be afraid," the pale girl spoke with a surprisingly warm smile. "Haha-ue will be elated to see you again, we'll make lots of beautiful children together."

"W-w-w-wait a minute!" the human student protested as the purple-haired girl leaned up against him. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"Hey!" Moka spoke up. "Tsukune is mine!"

"You wish!" Kurumu shot back.

"Tsukune-san and Moka-san are both mine!" Yukari interjected.

"None of you shall have him," Mizore spoke with a frosty expression.

The four girls began comically pumping their fists up and down in the air, which was an all too frequent occurrence for the brown-haired youth who stood a few feet away. Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard from somewhere deep in the forest, which got everyone's attention. It was soon followed by several others, and the gathered students became fearful and confused.

"What the hecht was that," a startled Kurumu asked, trembling as she looked in the direction of the unseen explosions.

Tsukune looked in the same direction, and his face went blank with shock as he realized what lied beyond their sight. "Oh no, the bus stop!" He immediately headed into the woods.

"Wait, Tsukune!" Moka cried out as she reached for him, even though he was far out of her grasp.

"Come back, Tsukune-san!" Yukari almost wailed as she and the others raced after him.

The brown-haired youth soon reached the cliff where the dimensional tunnel was located. Before it lied the burning husks of several destroyed buses, as intense flames continued to rise from the wreckage. "No!" he shouted in disbelief.

At that time, three figures came into view. One was a young man slightly taller and a few years older than Tsukune, with long red hair tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore a long brown coat that stopped around his knees, and a white dress shirt with an unbuttoned collar beneath. He also wore rugged blue jeans along with hard brown leather boots. A wide boastful smile crossed his young clean-shaven features, as he held a long leather whip in his right hand. To his left was a young woman in a long cyan robe, tied at the waist by a golden sash, with runic marking along the entire length. She also wore a white hooded cloak over her petite form, as a silver cross hung from below her neck. Her delicate hands held a long golden scepter, which had a widened pommel and a spherical head. A golden cross was welded into the top of her staff. Long golden tresses hung from beneath her hood, and her blue eyes peered sternly at the newcomer. On the other side was a very tall man in a long black cloak, with a black coat with golden lapels and upturned cuffs underneath. Also upon his slender form was a black vest, bound by a golden sash. His long legs were graced with night black trousers, and black leather boots with the tops turned down. His very long curly blonde hair reached the small of his back, and he wore an expressionless look on his pale face.

"Whoa, looks like we drew quite a crowd," the man with the whip noted proudly.

"Of course," the blonde woman replied, "just like moths to a flame."

"We could've used a bit more subtlety," the tall man protested, "now everyone knows we're here."

"Yes, and now they know they can't escape."

The crowd grew increasingly nervous of the newcomers, along with what they'd just relayed. Yukari clung to Kurumu's side, and Moka did the same to Tsukune as they looked fearfully at the hostile trio before them.

"Who are you people," a scared voice came from the crowd.

"What are you doing here," another student asked, terrified at the strangers by the demolished buses.

The auburn-haired youth turned to the crowd before him. "You wanna know we are," he asked in a loud defiant voice, "we'll be too happy to introduce ourselves!"

"We," the tall man asked with a deadpan expression.

The cocky teenager reached to his side, and grabbed a coiled whip which hung onto his belt. He uncoiled the whip and hurled the length of the weapon behind him. "My clan is the bane of the night!" he began, and then swung his whip twice before him in long sweeping motions. "The mere mention of our name makes vampires quake in their coffins!" He swung his whip several times in a figure eight pattern, leaped into the air, spun like a top as his weapon swung wildly around him, and landed on his feet, his right foot placed behind them, as his whip whirled back behind him. "Meet the mightiest and coolest vampire hunter that ever lived," the youth declared, as he leaned back, kept his left foot in place, swung his whip out front, caught it in his free hand and snapped it for emphasis, "Julius Belmont!"

"Belmont," a startled Tsukune asked.

"I command the power of the elements," the blonde woman began as she weaved her scepter before her, and a slew of fireballs whirled around her body, "the forces of nature go forth," she continued, as large ring of icicles appeared and rotated in a counerclockwise fashion over the fireballs, "and strike down those who live outside God's dominion!" A slew of huge electrical orbs appeared and encircles around her, coupled with the fireballs and icicles. She raised her arms aloft, and the elements rapidly accelerated. She thrust her arms down, and the elemental energies crashed into the ground around her, resulting in an enormous explosion which caused everyone gathered to reel back, startled by the sheer force of the eruption. After several seconds, the explosion died down. And when the smoke cleared, everyone saw a huge ring carved into the earth around the woman, who was surprisingly unharmed. "Kneel down before the might of the sorceress extraordinaire," the stranger proclaimed, as she held out left hand towards the crowd while she held her scepter out by her opposing side, "Marissa Belnades!"

Tsukune winced in pain, as he felt both Moka and Kurumu had tightened their grips on him. He looked about, and saw the other students were just as terrified at what they'd witnessed.

The man in the black cloak placed his hand on his hip and looked to his comrades with an annoyed expression. "You do realize this is a waste of time and energy," he dryly noted.

"Come on, Al," Julius retorted, "you're ruining the mood here."

"Don't be such a old stick in the mud," Marissa added as she regarded the taller man, "we're just showing these simpletons how useless it is to try and challenge us."

"That's not the point, don't either of you believe in subtlety? Thanks to this little stunt of yours, Dracula now knows we're here."

"And what's wrong with that? It's not like it helped him last time, this will be no different."

"Come on Al," the boisterous youth interjected, "give it a try, I know you'll like it."

The cloaked man groaned in chagrin and disbelief. "You people are hopeless." He shook his head of long blonde hair. "Whatever." He threw his cloak out to the left, which exposed a sheathed longsword which hung by his side. He held the sheath with his gloved left hand and gripped the handle of his blade with his right. "I made a promise to my mother," he began boldly, and then drew his sword with a steely hiss, "I would not rest until every last demon has been destroyed." He twirled his weapon like a vertical helicopter blade as he moved it from side to side, and it emitted an echo with each swing. "And today, that vow shall finally be fulfilled!" he continued, as he held his sword back and covered with himself with his black cape. "These are the words of her only begotten son," he announced, as he proceeded to dramatically fling his cape out to the side, "Alucard!"

Tsukune balked when the stranger introduced himself. "Alucard," he asked with a peculiar look.

"Hmm, Alucard," Yukari mused warily as she pondered the issue at hand, "that would be backwards for-" She cried out in fear as she clung even tighter to Kurumu.

"What," the incognito succubus asked with a confused look, "what's it backwards for."

"It's backwards for," the brown-haired youth began, and then gasped as he realized the answer, "Dracula!"

The cyan-haired girl looked to him in disbelief, then to the cloaked man. "You mean he's the evil opposite of Dracula?"

"Idiot, Dracula's already evil," Mizore interjected, "that would make him the good opposite." She looked to the blonde man in the distance. "I think," she finished in a somewhat confused tone.

"And now that you know who we are," Julius called out to the crowd as he concentrated his holy energy, "it's time for you to return the favor. It's only common courtesy, you know."

"Let light and darkness come together to lead us to victory," Alucard added, as a crimson aura surrounded him.

"Combined with the essence of pure magic," Marissa interjected as a golden aura surrounded her shrouded form, "all your illusions will disappear!"

"What incredible power!" Kurumu exclaimed, trembling as she witnessed the concentration of energy before her.

"It's way beyond S-class!" Yukari added, fearful of the three strangers. "They can't be human!"

"_**AURA OF DIVINE REVELATION!**_" the trio shouted in unison. They released their energies in one huge wave, which spread across the entire area and assailed everyone in range. The students screamed in pain as they tried to stand their ground amidst the colossal release of energy. Before Tsukune's horrified eyes, their human guises were stripped away, and they reverted to their true forms.

"_**TSUKUUUNEEEEEEEEE!**_" Moka screamed as the immense wave passed over her. The brown-haired youth watched as her exposed fangs lengthened, her voice became deeper, her hair changed from pink to silver, and her body matured accordingly.

"_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_" the human student screamed, shocked that the seal had been neutralized without him removing it. He looked to the others, and saw similar results. Black leathery wings emerged from Kurumu's back, her spaded tail from under her skirt, and her fingernails lengthened into deadly claws. Mizore's hair changed to crystal, and her hands transformed into large icy claws. Yukari didn't change physically, though she clearly struggled to remain upright.

After several intense seconds, the wave subsided. When the brown-haired youth looked, he saw what was previously a gathering of departing students had turned into a nightmare, as a horde of monstrous beasts covered the barren grounds with their inhuman presence. It reminded him of the fiasco of Lilith's Mirror, only the three strangers had accomplished it with their power alone, which terrified him to no end.

The monsters growled at one another in fear, rage, and confusion. Clearly they were taken aback by what had just occurred. One of the more rational demons turned a scathing look at the three warriors. "What have you done," it demanded in a rasping voice.

"We have exposed your ruse," the blonde woman in the distance replied with a satisfied look. "And now, it's time to cleanse this land of your evil." She and her comrades leaped away in different directions, as they encircled the inhuman throng before them. "Starting with this!" the sorceress declared as she reared back and concentrated her vast magical energy. "_**LIGHTNING ORB!**_" She thrust her hands outward, and three huge spheres of electricity shot forth. They passed through the makeshift army of monsters, who screamed in pain and agony. Many of the weaker ones were felled instantly, while the others were badly weakened.

Alucard encircled from another direction, and pulled his cloak completely over himself. "_**SOUL STEAL!**_" He flung his cape open to both sides, and began siphoning the life-force of every monster in his vicinity. They screamed as they felt their life energy being extracted, manifested in miniature orbs that shot towards the inhuman being, and many more fell from the onslaught, which essentially cut their numbers almost in half.

"My turn!" Julius announced as he leaped high into the air, somersaulted forward, and landed right in the middle of the disorganized throng of monsters.

"Is he crazy," Kurumu asked in disbelief.

"What was your first clue," Mizore remarked, as she had trouble controlling her fear.

The wounded beasts turned and raised his claws and other extremities menacingly as they surrounded the lone warrior. "Die, Belmont!" huge a tyrannosaurus-like monster growled as it lumbered towards him.

"I don't think so," the auburn-haired man remarked with a cocky smirk, as he clenched his fists, bent his knees as he hunched over slightly, and concentrated his vast energy. "_**GRAND CROSS!**_" he shouted, as the image of a huge glowing white crucifix appeared around him. A huge pillar of light erupted under him, and all the remaining monsters screamed in agony as they were bombarded with holy energy, and soon disintegrated from the assault.

Tsukune stood in place, paralyzed in fear from what he'd just witnessed. "No way!" he exclaimed in fear.

"They got," Kurumu added with a horrified expression, "vaporized!"

Around the time, the sound of fluttering wings came from behind the group. The human student turned, and saw a crow headed towards them, uplifted by its black wings. The small creature glowed with a lavender aura, and it form grew and changed from avian to humanoid. Once the metamorphosis was complete, a dark-haired woman in a pink corset and a long black skirt stood amongst them.

"Ruby-san!" the youngest of the group cried out as she recognized her fellow witch.

"Yukari-chan, what's going on here?"

"It's those guys," Kurumu spoke up as she pointed to the three warriors, "they just, wasted all the students!"

"And they blew up all the buses," Mizore added.

Ruby looked on in shock at the three strangers who stood amongst the incinerated remains of the slain students. She watched as the auburn-haired youth moved his left leg out to the side, leaned his weight onto his right as he bent his knee, pointed his right index and middle fingers at an angle towards the sky, and the fingers of his opposite hand towards the ground. "Woo hoo!" he declared exuberantly. "That was awesome!"

"I agree," the blonde woman concurred as she leaned her head back with a satisfied smile and spread her arms out wide. "Nothing like a good extermination to get the circulation going."

The swordsman gave his comrades a peculiar look, then turned to the group. "Looks like we missed a few," he noted dryly.

"No biggie," Julius retorted confidently, "I got this covered."

The tall man looked somewhat less than encouraged, and his female associate wore an incensed expression as the Belmont descendant approached the remaining students.

"Yo!" the boisterous young man called out to Tsukune and the others, which immediately got their attention. "Hey, where's the old man hiding? Hand him over and I might go easy on you!"

"Wh-what are you talking about, desu," Yukari asked with a fearful expression.

"We're talking about your lord and master," the cloaked man interjected, "Count Dracula." Bolts of lightning crashed down from the sullen skies above. The stranger looked up, though his expression didn't change. He then turned his attention back to the others. "It's useless trying to deceive us, the very air reeks of his evil. And for standing between us and him, you have forfeited your lives."

"Silence!" Moka shot back angrily. "Do not speak that name in my presence, you disgusting half-breed. I should rip your throat out and dismember you for even being in the same area as me! Filth like you does not even deserve to exist, but that oversight shall soon be rectified."

"Moka-san," Tsukune asked warily, taken aback by her uncharacteristic vitriol.

"I'd like to see you try," the blonde man calmly replied, unfazed by the death threats he'd just received.

The silver-haired demon screamed in unbridled rage as she charged headlong towards her opponent. She narrowed the distance between them in a split second, charged beside him and aimed a powerful roundhouse kick towards the small of his back. However, she was thrown off-balance when the attack hit nothing but air. Before she could've recovered, the blonde man was right before her and nailed her hard across the face with a devastating backhanded blow which knocked her seventy-five feet away.

"Moka-san!" the brown-haired youth cried out, shocked that the daiyoukai had been repelled with such ease.

"You big bully!" the young witch shouted indignantly as she grasped her wand with both hands. "Hoe dare you hurt Moka-san!" A violet aura surrounded her diminutive form, as she concentrated her youki into her small staff, which she raised into the air. "_**LYRICAL MAGICAL HAPPY HEART!**_" A stream of iron tarot cards appeared above her and shot towards the cloaked man. The clearly obvious youkai drew his sword again, and unleashed a powerful horizontal reverse slash, which knocked the oncoming projectiles back towards the child prodigy. The preteen girl was too shocked to dodge and the cards slashed mercilessly through her body, which several sticking right into vital and vulnerable areas. The young magic user groaned in despair as she slowly toppled back onto the ground, and her head rolled lifelessly to the side.

"Yukari-chan!" Tsukune screamed, horrified that the young witch had been slain.

"_**YOU BASTARD!**_" Kurumu shrieked in demonic rage as she glared at the dhampir.

"Actually, his parents were legally married," Julius spoke up.

Alucard slapped his gloved hand over his face in response, while his female companion came up behind the auburn-haired man and whacked him upside the head with her scepter. "Idiot!" she snapped with a vexed look. "Don't you ever think before you speak?"

"Aw, come on, Marissa," the holy warrior grumbled as he rubbed the side of his head, "don't give me that, you're starting to sound like my mother. You're starting to worry me, you're getting old before your time."

The sorceress' sapphire pupils disappeared and steam arose from her head and shoulders as she bared her teeth in anger. She reared back with her staff and smashed her comrade with a heavy overhead blow and drilled him into the ground, which shook from the impact. "Make any more stupid comments and you won't live to procreate, pal!"

"Can we save the spat for later," the blonde man asked, a twinge of annoyance in his voice, "there's a bloodthirsty demon headed our way."

Julius slowly got his feet, his head still throbbing as he saw the winged youkai streaking towards them. He reached into his coat, pulled out a sizable cross-shaped object, and hurled it towards the oncoming enemy. The succubus dodged to the side, and the boomerang whizzed past her. "Shoot!" he quipped, and quickly dodged to avoid a deadly swipe of her claws. He quickly produced his whip and lashed out against her shoulder, which made her scream in pain but she remained aloft. She quickly got some distance between them, turned around and flew back towards the Belmont descendant.

"Idiot!" Marissa called out. "Don't just stand there!"

"Don't worry," the auburn-haired man replied, "I got this covered. Pity she has to be so hot, if she weren't a demon, I'd date her."

"And just what's wrong with me," the sorceress demanded as she placed her hands on her hips. "What's she got that I don't? I happen to find myself very attractive, for your information."

"Not to mention humble," Julius muttered under his breath. He glanced over his shoulder, and then back to his enemy who was poised to strike yet again. With a knowing smile, he quickly dodged to the side. The cyan-haired youkai was confused at first, and then saw a cross-shaped boomerang headed towards her. She never got a chance to dodge as the holy projectile cut through her full-figured body and exited out her back. She shrieked in inhuman pain, careened forward and crashed on the ground.

She slid forward through the barren earth until she came to a stop near the mortified human student's feet. "Kurumu-chan!" he cried out, horrified by what laid mere inches from him.

The gravely wounded succubus struggled to lift herself off the ground, her shaking arms barely able to support her weight. She raised her dirtied face towards the brown-haired youth, as blood ran from her mouth. "Tsukune, I-" Before she could've said anything else, a huge pillar of flame erupted beneath her, which forced the human student back. She shrieked in agony as her flesh burned away, which revealed a winged skeleton that also caught flame and was soon reduced to ash.

Tsukune collapsed to his knees, thunderstruck by what had just occurred. He crawled over to where his friend once stood, and when the flames subsided, he was shocked as he saw nothing but a pile of ashes. He tentatively reached out, and took hold of the incinerated remains of his dear friend. "Kurumu-chan."

"This is the fate of all creatures of darkness," came the sorceress' cold, judgmental voice. "Those who oppose God are destined for eternal destruction."

"Geez, Marissa, did you have to be so rough," Julius' voice asked in obvious protest, "I mean she was pretty hot."

"And now she's even hotter, burning forever in the flames of Hell where she rightfully belongs."

An enraged demoness' scream pierced the air. Tsukune looked and saw Mizore charging headlong towards the ones who'd just slain her classmate. She raised her claws aloft as she headed straight for the Belnades descendant. The blonde woman expertly dodged the reckless attack, but quickly went on the defensive as her opponent recovered quicker than she'd expected. The yuki onna released three more wild slashes which were all avoided, and followed up with a roundhouse kick that could've decapitated any other enemy, but Marissa quickly ducked and the purple-haired girl spun fully around. The sorceress righted herself, aimed her left hand at Mizore's back and unleashed a flaming sphere which exploded against her opponent. The yuki onna screamed in pain as she was flung forward from the force of the attack, and driven face first into the ground.

"Enough of this!" Ruby shouted, her patience exhausted at the carnage before her. She raised her wand aloft, and the jewel in the center glowed with a bright pink aura. "_**MAGICAL SURROUNDING SEAL!**_" Three lightning bolts shot from her wand and crash down onto the hostile band before her.

Marissa growled in pain, but quickly shook off the effects. "Was that is," she asked indignantly. "Hmph, Dracula has become desperate, entrusting his safety to weaklings like you. Let me show you the true power of magic, then you'll learn how useless your parlor tricks really are."

"Parlor tricks!" the dark-haired woman declared, seething in rage at the fate of her fellow witch, and being mocked on top of that. "I'll show **you** whose magic is just parlor tricks!" She raised her staff aloft. "Rise, my servants! Devour the intruders!" The ground cracked before her, and a large expanse of huge voracious plantlike creatures with multiple red eyes climbed out of the crevice and growled as they gazed hungrily at the strangers.

"Oh look," the blonde woman began in a conceited voice, "she's summoned a bunch of weeds to try and protect her. Not that it's going to help her."

"Time for a trimming!" Julius declared, as he reached into his coat and pulled a large silver axe. He rushed towards the malicious vegetation and began hacking away at the new enemies, who screamed in pain as his bladed weapon sliced through them.

Alucard stood on another side of the killer plants, and pulled his cloak over himself with his left hand. "_**DARK INFERNO!**_" he shouted, as he threw open his cape and released four large spheres of burning dark energy, which shot forth at varying heights and plowed straight into the hostile throng. The monsters screamed in searing pain as several of them caught flame, and many were incinerated from the attack.

The remaining plants soon surrounded the young man, their maws gaping open and hungering for his blood. "You guys never learn," he commented with a wry smirk, then concentrated his energy into the bladed weapon in his hand. "_**AXE SPHERE!**_" He released his energy, and a ring of whirling axes appeared around him, and slashed the surrounding enemies. The ring grew outwards and spun around him like a gyroscope, which effectively decimated the remaining monsters. They shot forth in all directions, and those of the group that still stood dove to avoid the oncoming projectiles, save for the dark-haired witch who was struck by two axes and plummeted towards the earth.

"Ruby-san!" Tsukune cried out, shocked as he watched his friend had nearly crashed into the earth before he managed to right herself.

In a split second, the cloaked man was right beside her, and slashed her twice with his sword before he reappeared on her opposite side. He then threw open his cloak, and a large barrage of fireballs assaulted her already wounded form, and inflicted severe burns all over her body. The witch tried to create a shield with her wand, and though it saved her from the last few fireballs, she was still badly wounded from the attack.

"Such a pity," Julius remarked with a disappointed look, "she was cute, too."

"She's also inherently evil," the cloaked man pointed out. "Finish her."

"Whatever," the Belmont descendant replied with little enthusiasm, as he channeled his energy into a silver dagger he pulled from his coat. "_**THOUSAND BLADES!**_" he shouted, as he rapidly fired a swarm of daggers at the wounded Ruby, who was unable to dodge and found herself pincushioned by the relentless attack, as several vital organs were pierced. She groaned in pain, and blood ran from her mouth as she collapsed on the ground. "Tsukune-san," she spoke in a barely audible voice as her wine-colored eyes closed for the last time.

"_**RUBY-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_" the brown-haired youth screamed at the top of his lungs, enraged at what had befallen the older witch.

Mizore finally got to her feet, and saw what had become of the older girl. A massive killing intent arose from her, as she targeted the closest enemy to her, the sorceress Marissa Belnades. "I will never forgive you," she spoke in an icy voice of death, as her eyes glowed with a malicious frigid aura. "You bloodthirsty bigots will never leave here alive!"

"Bigots," the blonde woman retorted with an insulted expression. "We are heroes, we cleanse the world from filth like you, foul demons who live only for death and destruction." She concentrated her magic, and a golden aura surrounded her lithe form. "By the will of God," he declared, and pointed her scepter at her enemy, "you are condemned to death!"

"Then I'll see you in Hell!" the yuki onna shot back, as she channeled all of her youki into one massive burst. "_**COCYTUS!**_" she shouted, and unleashed a huge wave of subzero energy at her opponent.

"_**BLAZE OF JUDGMENT!**_" Marissa shouted, and unleashed an enormous wave of flame that dwarfed the oncoming blizzard. Mizore tried to channel more energy into her attack, but the oncoming flame consumed the frigid blast and then assailed her. The yuki onna screamed in pain as the intense flames burned up her clothes, and soon began to melt her body. Droplets of liquid fell from her melting form but were also vaporized, until she was reduced to a puddle on the ground, which was quickly absorbed by the dead earth.

"_**MIZORE-CHAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_" Tsukune screamed, as he felt his rage boiling within him. But before he could've acted, he felt a colossal murderous intent from behind. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Inner Moka headed back to the battlefield at top speed, a murderous look in her blazing red eyes as she emitted a primal scream of demonic rage. As she neared the cloaked man, he seemed to instantly move to the side and Moka sprawled forward and tumbled almost a hundred feet past her target, dirt all over her body and uniform.

"What the hecht," the human student asked as he mentally reviewed the situation. He slowed it down in his mind, and watched as Alucard deftly moved to the side and stuck out his left leg, which the oncoming Moka tripped over and sprawled forward, completely taken off-guard by the playground maneuver. What shocked him was that the counter was actually effective, as Inner Moka clearly hadn't expected it. He winced as he watched the vampire's body bouncing painfully off the barren ground.

Alucard soon rejoined his comrades, who were on guard as their enemy got to her knees, a vexed expression on her pale face as she hatefully regarded them.

"This is why you should never rush into battle," the blonde man pointed out, "you could die before you could even land your first blow."

"Don't patronize me, mongrel!" the silver-haired woman shot back. "It'll take more than you and your puny lot to defeat me."

"Then clearly you don't have the slightest clue who you're up against," Marissa retorted smugly. "We're the ones who slew Count Dracula, your lord and master, once and for all. And you're no Dracula."

Moka hissed hatefully as she bared her fangs at the sorceress.

"By the way, are those real," Julius asked as he pointed at her bosom. "That other one was pretty stacked, too, but yours look just as good."

The Belnades descendant turned with a vexed glare, jumped into the air and smashed her scepter over the holy warrior's head. "Idiot, she a vampire!" she shouted into his ear. "The sworn enemy of your clan! You're supposed to decimate the creatures of the night, not lust after them! They are evil incarnate and must be exterminated so the good people of this world can live in peace without having the fear these murderous pawns of Hell!"

"Geez, Marissa, cut me some slack here," the auburn-haired man grumbled, as he rubbed the top of his head, "I can't help it if she's really built."

The vampire's aura exploded around her, as he was more enraged than she'd ever been in her entire existence. "So you're a pervert on top of everything else," she demanded of Julius. "That's it, you're going to be the first to die!"

"Be my guest," the tall man replied as he backed away.

"Al!" Julius protested as he noticed his comrades had retreated.

"It's your own fault for being tempted by your enemy. Trevor and Richter were far more dedicated, try not to embarrass them any further."

The auburn-haired man made an insulted face as he regarded the dhampir, who'd turned his back to him. "Al, you suck."

Tsukune sweatdropped as he watched the exchange. "This guy reminds me of Gin-senpai," he commented with a chagrined expression.

Moka immediately charged at her distracted opponent, livid at his sheer audacity. As she spun around and prepared to unleash a devastating reverse roundhouse kick, he noticed her approach and seemed to phase forward through her body. Her leg thrust forward with enough force to have sent the warrior into orbit had it connected.

"Whoa," a familiar voice spoke from behind, "she looks good from this side, too."

The vampire growled in rage, as she realized he'd seen her underwear. She quickly turned around and charged again, but the warrior reared back with his whip and lashed it out, as the tip struck just below her breastbone.

She hissed in pain, far more intense than she'd ever experienced in her life. She bared her fangs as her hand held the area beneath her chest. She soon received two more strikes to the shoulder, and then finally dodged another oncoming attack. She rushed in with a high kick, but Julius leaped back with superhuman agility and soared high into the air. Moka leaped up after him, propelled by her youki as she closed in on her opponent, who'd reached into his jacket and pulled out a blue flask. As she neared him, he hurled the flask at her. She quickly destroyed it with a backhanded swipe with her claws, but then found herself doused with a strange liquid, and then shrieked in agony as she felt a burning pain all over her torso. She fell back to the earth, and landed hard on the ground in a heap, her body still burning from the last attack.

"Moka-san!" Tsukune called out. "Quickly, roll on the ground!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" the silver-haired woman shot back spitefully. "I am a vampire," she spoke defiantly as she rose from the ground, "I don't need your help!"

Julius landed on the ground ten feet from where his opponent stood. "That's unfortunate," he called out as he held another flask, which got the sophomore's attention, "because I'm a vampire hunter, sworn to destroy all creatures of the night." A soft blue aura surrounded his body, as he concentrated his holy power. "And this includes you, Moka Akashiya."

"Don't you mock me!" the daiyoukai growled menacingly. "I'll rip your heart and crush it with my bare hands!"

"Sorry, I can't have that." He watched as the vampire charged again, and brought back the flask in his hand. "_**HYDRO STORM!**_" he shouted, and hurled the bottle into the air. Once he did, a deluge of holy rain cascaded down from above, and doused the entire area. Moka shrieked in agony as her entire body was assaulted by holy water, and she had no means to protect herself. The Belmont descendant rushed in, and repeatedly attacked her with his whip, a remorseful look on his usually mischievous face. Finally, the vampire's body exploded in a huge burst of searing blue flame, and she shrieked as the holy fires began to consume her body. She fell to her knees, as her flesh began to burn away, along with her school uniform. She fell face down on the ground, and continued to burn into she was nothing more than a blackened skeleton, lying in a heap by Julius' feet.

"_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAN!**_" Tsukune screamed at the top of his lungs, horrified at his friend's cruel fate. Unable to contain his anger, he screamed in demonic rage as a vile ebony and crimson aura surrounded him.

The Belmont descendant hadn't the chance to grieve before he sensed a titanic evil aura, one he knew only too well. He turned, and saw the last student in the area, and saw the aura had come from him. "So there you are, old man," the auburn-haired youth called out. "Got yourself a facelift, did you? Doesn't matter, you're still going down!"

"So you've finally revealed yourself, have you," Marissa asked challengingly as she came up near the holy warrior. "Very well, it's time to send you back where you belong!"

"There is no place left for you to hide!" Alucard shouted as he rejoined his comrades. "Upon my mother's name I shall end your reign of terror!" he declared, as he drew his sword. "Prepare to die, Count Dracula!"

Tsukune continued to scream, lost in hate as the satanic energy coursed through his body.

* * *

Colton and his associates watched as the sleeping Tsukune writhed in pain, as a female demon hovered behind him, her slender hands placed near the sides of his head.

"Well," the older of the two masked woman remarked casually, "at least she's making this entertaining enough. Though it sickens me to be reminded of those fools."

"_Tell me this is not an accurate depiction,_" the robed man remarked with an embarrassed look. "_I __thought Richter was a fool, this one makes him look ingenious._"

"Don't worry," Colton interjected, "he's no longer a threat. The others aren't really, either."

"_But they still live, don't they? Especially that ingrate,_" he finished with a disgusted scowl as he regarded the cloaked man in Tsukune's dreams.

"We'll deal with them later. Right now, we nee to our guest properly, entertained. And once his friends arrive, the real fun begins." He chuckled wickedly to himself as he eagerly rubbed his gloved hands together.

* * *

Oh snap! Talk about going from bad to worse... again! Will Tsukune ever escape from the nightmare he's trapped within? What awaits our heroines as they travel to Issa Shuzen's castle? And what will happen to Ayumu if she ever returns to the human world?

"And how many Tsukunes will appear in the next chapter? Not that I'm complaining of course, now there's one for everyone."

Uh yeah. Sure thing, Mizore-chan. Anyway, stay tuned for an upcoming omake, along with the continuation of the main story in Part II Chapter IV Clandestine Castle


	5. Part II Omake II

A/N – Hello, hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. And I see a few people enjoyed my rendition of young Julius in the last chapter. Expect to see more of him later on during the saga.

"_Author, if you have that simpleton hitting on me again, I'll rip out your large intestine and garrote you with it._"

"Ura-chan! If you do that, we'll never get to the end of the story."

"_Would that really be a bad thing? This idiot never ceases to embarrass me._"

"It would be a bad thing, then we couldn't see Super Tsukune-san blasting Dracula and his whole castle to bits, desu!"

"Um, Super Tsukune-san?"

"Oh come off it, Yukari-chan! Those kind of stories never last. What'll he do _after?_ Hmm, you flat-chested girl?"

"Then he, Moka-san and I can have our threesome, like we were always meant to! And you're not invited, dairy cow!"

"You wish! It'll end with Onee-sama discarding her useless half and beating Dracula herself! Then she and I can a family again, like we were always meant to be! Oh, Onee-sama!"

Gosh, seems like everyone has their expectations of the fic. As they're debating their issue, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. They are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Omake II  
The Long Ride...

The pair of mismatched vehicles continued through the transdimensional tunnels, as streams of otherworldly energy passed by them in a myriad of bright colors. Inside the Winnebago, the six girls tried to get adjusted to the trip. Though they found the exterior of the car disconcerting enough, it paled before what they found within. Emptied and pulverized cans lined the floor, well over thirty by Yukari's count. A ratty old blanket was strewn over the backseat, along with old clothes that were in serious need of washing, and somewhat less dire need of repair. They even saw a couple of patches of long-dried blood on the walls.

"Ugh," Kurumu began, as a queasy feeling came over her, "can't we get some air in here at least?"

"You'll live," Pfaria retorted from the driver's seat. "But once you reach the castle, all bets are off. You know that, right?"

"I feel ill," Yukari muttered, aghast that a vampire, and especially one of royal status, could've tolerated such squalor. But as she considered the way Pfaria conducted herself, she saw virtually nothing that reflected her stature. Her coarse demeanor, her choice of attire and recently transportation, all starkly contrasted with everything the young witch knew about vampires. However, as she considered she'd fallen out of favor with most of her present family, she realized she wasn't the only one troubled by the older woman's actions.

As she pondered the issue, her violet eyes caught sight of a cardboard case near her feet, one that looked like it had been recently opened. Inside she saw more canned drinks, similar to the ones on the floor, but were completely intact. "What's that, desu," she asked curiously, as she warily reached for a can.

"Hands off, kid!" the pink-haired woman snapped as her gloved right index finger shot out. The young witch immediately leaned back into her seat at the warning. "That goes for the rest of you as well," the driver continued sternly, "no touching the beer!"

Ruby immediately glared at the vampire. "Shuzen-san," she demanded with an intense look, "were you drinking before we set out?"

The leather-clad woman in the driver's seat growled lightly as she looked back towards the administrative assistant. "What's it to you," she shot back, "I can handle ten beers and drive just fine. You just simmer down and enjoy the trip."

"And how many accidents have you gotten into," the dark-haired woman asked pointedly.

"None of your business! Now sit still and shut your hole, no one needs to hear it."

"Such a refined woman," Mizore remarked blandly.

"How can that, _thing,_" Kurumu added, "be Moka's sister?"

"She that much different from Kokoa," the purple-haired girl asked.

"Knock it off!" Pfaria snapped at her passengers. "Or you can all walk! Be grateful I'm even driving you kids, any other vampire would've laughed in your face and walked away, if they didn't kill you first."

"Enough!" Ruby shot back. "I am not going to subject my fellow witch or her close friends to the destructive whims of a drunk driver!"

The incognito succubus, yuki onna, and younger witch gasped in surprise, regained their composure, and quickly fastened their safety belts. The others were already belted in, but no less startled by what they'd just heard.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," the pink-haired woman replied dismissively. "We're in the freakin' tunnels, it's not like there's anyone else on the road." Suddenly, a bright light came from ahead of her. She looked out the windshield, and saw a long black limousine headed straight for her. Immediately she spun the steering wheel, and the large vehicle swerved to the side and narrowly escaped a collision. The six girls cried out in fear as the vehicle suddenly lurched to the side. Had they not been belted in, they would've undoubtedly fallen atop one another in a heap on the floor. Yukari was a bit disappointed it hadn't happened.

The incensed vampire poked her head out the window and looked towards the retreating vehicle. "[Hey, watch where you're driving, buster!]" she shouted at the limo.

Kurumu, Mizore, and Ruby leaned back in their seats, startled by the hostile words of the driver. Though the language she used was unfamiliar to them, the tone and inflections were impossible to have mistaken. Yukari and Michiru looked to her warily. Though they knew she'd spoken in English, their grasp of it wasn't strong enough to truly discern her words.

"[Be more watchful of yourself,]" the silver and pink-haired woman spoke sternly, her arms folded as she gazed fiercely at the leather-clad woman in the front seat, "[dear sister.]"

"Moka-san," the young witch remarked, awed her friend's command of the English language.

A dangerous growl came from the driver's seat, which unnerved most of the passengers. The younger vampire, however, seemed unfazed as her sibling slowly looked back over her shoulder.

"Neesan," Kahlua's voice called out from outside the vehicle, "have you been drinking again?"

"Shut your trap!" the driver shot back out the window. "I got everything under control! Just make sure those idiots don't try anything!"

A despondent sigh escaped Moka's lips, as she somberly closed her eyes. "_I'm more worried about you,_" she thought to herself, as she lowered her chin. "_Aneue._"

* * *

"_Pfaria-san was one of the brightest students to have ever attended the academy," Nekonome began as she warily regarded the silver and pink-haired woman, who listened intently to her words. "She always got top grades in class, her attendance was all but impeccable, and eventually graduated valedictorian of the Class of '96. I was so honored to have her in my homeroom."_

"_You did," Moka asked, touched by the story about her oldest sister._

"_Yes, you remind me a lot of how she used to be, Akashiya-san." She warily looked over her student. "You, even wear your uniform, as she did."_

_The daiyoukai looked down at herself, and remembered the time she finally met her alter ego in person. She envisioned Pfaria in the same attire, and felt her heart filling with joy. She wrapped her arms around herself and hummed in elation, beaming from the comparison._

_The blonde woman looked to her pupil, and then her demeanor became more somber. "Though she was one of our best students," she continued, "she was also one of our loneliest."_

"_Hmm," the sophomore girl asked, pulled out of her euphoric state._

"_Though she retained a human form at all times as dictated by protocol, her surname betrayed her true nature. Because of that, most of the people on campus avoided her, so she had very few friends. There were a few would-be suitors, but none of them held her interest, and so were turned away, in one form or another. I did my best to try and counsel her, she admitted she was afraid of growing up to be like her father, all alone in the middle of nowhere for the rest of her life."_

_Moka emitted a startled gasp. She knew well of her own loneliness while she attended middle school, and never knew her blood sister had suffered from it as well. She winced in pain, as she cursed her counterpart for withholding information about her family, especially at that juncture when she found it in such disarray. However, with Inner Moka seemingly dead, she had no immediate means of resolving the issue, and it troubled her to no end._

_As she pondered the issue, she recalled her teacher's tale, how students feared Pfaria because of her surname, and realized Kokoa hadn't much of the same problem. "Wait," she spoke up, "people knew about us back then? Why is it so different now?" At that moment she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. She turned and soon beheld her mother, whose face was more grave than she ever remembered. "Haha-ue."_

"_Before your seventh birthday," Ayumu began, "the Shuzen family was one of the most powerful and feared families in all the youkai realms. Every vampire in the country lived in our castle, so Issa held a lot of influence in Japan." A pained look appeared on her face, and she tightly shut her eyes and turned away. "But after that day," she continued sadly, "I couldn't remain there any longer. So I severed all ties with the family, changed my identity and relocated in the human world. It wasn't longer after that I found you on my doorstep, Moka-chan."_

_The younger vampire gasped as she took in her mother's tragic tale._

"_I was very surprised," the incognito countess went on, "I truly thought you were dead. So I granted you my new moniker so no one would discover your true identity, and thus no word of your existence would reach the Council. Needless to say, I haven't spoken with your father or your other sisters since, especially Pfaria."_

"_Why are you fighting with her, Haha-ue," Moka asked, as she noted the sour tone her mother's voice had taken once she was finished. "What happened between you two?"_

_Ayumu merely looked away, and folded her arms under her chest._

"_Sensei," the vampire asked worriedly, desperate for any scrap of information that could've helped her understand her sister's current state, "do you know what happened?"_

_Nekonome mewed in a somewhat dispirited tone. "I really wish I could help you, Akashiya-san," she began, more at ease around her student due to her current vulnerability. "After graduation, I expected great things from your sister. Her class has held two reunions, but she's been absent from both. No one has heard anything from her since her school days." She hummed to herself, tilted her head slightly upwards, and placed her right index fingertip on her chin. "But now that I think of it, she did have one good friend at school, a vampire from Germany named Heinrich-kun."_

_Ayumu groaned in response, and shook her head in chagrin._

"_Hahau-e," Moka asked, "did you know him?"_

"_I've never met him personally," the pink-haired woman replied, "but his family owned a brewery in the human world. Pfaria spoke very highly of him when she called me from school. They weren't well off, not by your father's standards, so he deemed Heinrich unworthy of his daughter's hand." She remember her former spouse's ire at the notion of his oldest daughter being wed to a "beermaker," as he so eloquently put it._

_The feline teacher hummed in acknowledgment, as she knew royals were reluctant to let their children marry into what they deemed lower households. "He was a strange one," she began. "Though he was a vampire, he never lorded himself over anyone, and avoided conflict as best he could. However, it sometimes enraged his opponents even more, and thus he was pulled into fights regardless."_

_Both vampires frowned at that, for they knew such actions were sometimes classified as a sign of weakness._

"_One time," the blonde woman continued, "Pfaria-san came to his aid and singlehandedly drove off his attackers, who quickly fled. Heinrich was very grateful, though Pfaria-san wasn't very receptive. She accused him of deliberately refusing to defend himself in order to draw her attention so he could make his move. He denied it, of course, but your sister refused to believe him and walked away."_

_Nekonome looked to her pupil, who was very attentive to her words, which made her glad inside. "They met many times over the following three years. It took a lot of effort for Heinrich-kun to demonstrate he was genuine. Pfaria-san brushed him off repeatedly, claiming he was just playing games with her. Apparently, she told me her father and his associates did the same thing around her household."_

_Ayumu groaned in chagrin, as she remembered the increasing tension between her daughter and her former spouse during that time. She also noted her own conflicts with Shuzen became more frequent, as he subtly implied it was her fault Pfaria was rebelling against him._

"_One time," Nekonome continued, "she was personally assigned to tutor him on some of his classes. She hated it, but eventually she agreed. And over time, she saw it wasn't an act, that he was simply being himself. Soon they became friends, and even more by the time graduation came around."_

"_Even more," the young vampire asked curiously. "How, much more," she inquired, as she nervously touched the tips of her index fingers together. She suddenly frowned, clenched her fists together and brought them down by her sides._

"_Well," the feline teacher responded warily, "I never saw anything really improper, but you could say they became an item by senior year. His grades improved, and she was so much happier than she was __in her first year. She said she'd finally found someone real, who wanted to know the real her."_

_Moka looked nervous and introspective as she considered her teacher's words. "_Aneue wanted to be loved for herself,_" she said mentally, "_not her power or her status or her looks._" Her fingertips went to the middle of her chest. "_I want Tsukune to love me like that. But, who am I? Which is the real me?_" Her slender hand clenched into a fist, which she pressed into her cleavage. "_Ura-chan._"_

"_I see," the incognito countess noted. "And became of young Heinrich after school?"_

_The blonde woman looked away nervously, and mewed in chagrin. "He's also been absent from reunions, no one has heard anything from him." Her ears flattened against her head, as she looked reluctant to continue._

"_Please, Sensei," Moka spoke urgently, as her hand went to the shorter woman's shoulder, "what happened?"_

_Nekonome sighed to herself. "I tried to contact his family, and they refused to talk. The last thing they said, was that there was never a person named Heinrich in the Shwartz-Stahl family, and wouldn't speak further on the issue. Some time after that, they were all found dead, their estate burned to the ground. Some suspected foul play, but the culprit, if any, was never found."_

_Ayumu growled to herself, and folded her arms as her jade eyes narrowed suspiciously._

* * *

Moka found a tear had ran down her cheek as her thoughts returned to the present. "_Aneue's mate was disowned by his family. What happened to him, could this be why she's changed?_" Her eyes widened in surprise, as she remembered how she referred to Heinrich, whom she'd never met in her short life. "_Aneue, you loved him, didn't you?_" She raised her right hand, and clenched it into a fist. "_Yes, that must be it. And now, our family is disowning you._" She tightly shut her eyes, as more tears managed to escape regardless. "_I can't let it end like this, I must reach her, somehow. And after that, I'll come for you, Tsukune._"

* * *

Kahlua followed closely behind, as she tightly gripped the steering wheel. She wasn't overly thrilled that her mission had been less than successful, since Kokoa and Tsukune were both missing. She wasn't looking forward to the verbal thrashing she knew she would've received from her father about her lackluster results, among other things. She also wished Moka would've traveled in her car so she wouldn't have had the indignity of witnessing more of the decadent lifestyle of her oldest sister. The blonde vampire felt very lonely as she followed behind the rusted-out vehicle ahead of her.

She looked about the area, and saw no other cars in the tunnel, so she reached into her jacket and pulled out her cellphone. Though she knew she couldn't call in or out while inside the tunnel, she flipped it open and checked her voice mail. She found one text message from an entity registered as "MF," so she immediately selected it, and watched as it came up fully on her small screen.

"Kahlua," the message began, "where in the name of all the infernal Hells of the Omniverse are you? And why did you infiltrate the Bleeding Bat ahead of schedule? Thanks to that little stunt, our operations were nearly ruined. Not to mention one of the hunters is still unaccounted for, and that really displeases me. This blemish on my record is inexcusable, Yoshii-san is assuredly most perturbed over your nonsensical actions. And let's not get started about your mother, she's given me no end of grief ever since we returned to base. Our client won't be pleased that our job is incomplete, which to them is a failure. And you know how they deal with failure. What on earth is your father making you do that supersedes our agenda? You'd better have a good explanation when you get back, don't make me come looking for you. And for the love of all that is unholy, don't make your mother come looking for you, or we'll never hear the end of it. Get back to me **now,** or else.

MF"

Kahlua closed the phone, as a mournful sigh escaped her lips. "Hahau-e," she spoke somberly, as her thoughts grew nostalgic.

* * *

_The blonde vampire was down on her hands and knees, with cuts and bruises all over her body. Around her were the fallen forms of several youkai, all dead by her hands. She was anxious about what her mother had planned for her sixteenth birthday, but the last thing she imagined was an intensive training session, which had lasted most of the day. And though she'd come out victorious over her numerous opponents, she also felt very dispirited about her birthday being celebrated in such an impersonal manner._

"_Hahau-e," she spoke weakly, as her tears flowed freely, "why are you doing this? I can't stand fighting, it tears me apart inside. Why can't you understand?"_

_Suddenly, the prostrated woman's body convulsed violently as an intense blast of electricity struck her. She screamed in searing agony as the energy coursed through her prone form._

"_Don't you talk back to me," a manic female voice spoke frantically, "whoever gave you permission to address me you worthless pile of organic matter I have the right mind to dissect your cellular structure and reconstruct it into something slight more valuable than a pile of jellyfish excrement which at least can be used a fertilizer which is far more useful than you could ever be I carried your worthless self in my body for over a year and a half and this is the thanks I get," she demanded indignantly, "a substandard reprobate who can't follow directions, can't walk and chew bubblegum at the same time, and can't kill fifty low level youkai in a timely fashion you were five point seven four eight nine six seconds behind the expected time I killed twice that number in less amount of time how you can be so lackadaisical in your approach in being an assassin it is beyond even my omniscience I have the right mind to terminate your lowly existence right now and try again with your father and hopefully we'll get a child that actually possesses a remote semblance of competence which is more than I say for you!"_

_The electrical torture became even more intense for a couple of seconds, and Kahlua feared her life was about to end. And then, it finally ceased, and she collapsed face-first on the floor, as smoke rose from her wounded body. The most painful part of it was she knew the attack had come from her mother. Tears ran anew, as she recalled her mother's plight. Before the day of the accident, she was far more caring and understanding. Though admittedly Gyokuro was clearly jealous of Akasha, she acted far more civil and noble. She even assisted in trying to bring the Shuzen family into the modern world. But when the new generator she was installing exploded, everything changed. All pretenses of civility, nobility, sanity, even her old moniker was cast aside, and Kahlua's training sessions became far more frequent and brutal. She even found her mother's appearance painful to gaze upon, as it brought back memories of the accident, along with her previous self._

"_If you have this much trouble with a bunch of weaklings," the deranged matriarch continued, "then clearly I'm wasting my time entrusting you with the task of killing that little wretch who's been a thorn in my side, your side, your father's side, your family's side, the whole vampire nation's side since the day she was born! I always knew Akasha would bring nothing but ruin for my beloved blood mate and from what I've already seen of that little minx that popped out she's cut from the same very filthy moth-eaten cloth as her mother! We cannot have her threaten everything my family has spent countless millennia trying to achieve she will be the death of us all and bring the entire vampire nation to ruin I knew it the first moment I laid eyes on that insolent little wretch who's nothing but a goldbricking __homewrecking dreamstealing abhorrence just like her mother who's completely indifferent to the havoc that witch is about to wreak in her infinite malice that's been only too apparent but everyone's too terrified of that overgrown bimbo to speak out against the growing threat among us! I'm the only one with the courage and the wisdom and the power to stop this unholy monstrosity dead in its tracks and once I do Issa-kun will finally realize what a threat Akasha is to his family, his empire, his entire existence and then do what he knows in his heart is the right and only thing and terminate her! Oh what a wonderful day that will be!"_

_The entire chamber became filled with the demented demoness' maniacal laughter, which echoed in her prone daughter's ringing ears._

* * *

Kahlua continued to follow behind her older sister's vehicle, as her thoughts returned to the present. "She must be wrong," she said to herself, "she has to be. Moka-chan is not a threat, she's, family." Her tears burst forth anew, as she recalled her present course of action, which grieved her like nothing else she'd ever experienced in her comparatively short life. "Moka-chan, I will protect you."

* * *

Pfaria continued to drive through the lonely transdimensional tunnel, which she'd traveled through numerous times. She glanced back at the silver and pink-haired girl, who seemed lost in her thoughts. Regardless, her presence had begun to irritate the brooding driver, who was incensed at the grand farce perpetuated her incorrigible father. She was irate enough that he had murdered his daughter, on her birthday no less; but to replace her with a substitute, and then expect everyone to treat her like she was Moka, was simply inexcusable to the pink-haired woman. It seemed there was no limit to the audacity of one Issa Shuzen, which infuriated Pfaria to no end.

She was also peeved by the rest of her passengers, who'd clearly bought into the charade. They treated the impostor like she was one of them, but the elder vampire knew better. Any other time, she might've pitied them for being gulled so easily by her father. But when the actress dared to call Akasha her mother, and the incognito countess returned her affections, Pfaria decided she'd had enough. It reminded her of one of the last times she dealt with her.

* * *

_A badly injured Pfaria was on her knees on the hard stone floor of Castle Shuzen. What was originally a sparring match quickly elevated into an intense battle for existence, and the eldest of the four sisters was clearly the loser. One eye had swollen shut, and her bruised right hand held her intensely sore ribs. She coughed painfully, as blood ran down her mouth, and her silver bangs fell into her slitted crimson irises. Blood stained her regal gown, which was torn in several places._

_Before her was the familiar form of Akasha Bloodriver, who stood imperiously and triumphantly over her opponent. Her divinely-shaped body was visibly unblemished, clad only in a strapless black bustier with matching short shorts, as she looked down her nose at her fallen daughter, his fists clenched by her sides. "I do hope I've made myself clear," she began in a cold expectant voice, "never question me."_

_The younger vampire coughed painfully as she looked to her mother. "You've been hanging around the old man too much," she remarked weakly, "he's starting to rub off on you."_

"_Shut up!" the matriarch snapped, and slapped her defiant daughter hard across the face, which all but knocked her to the floor again. "What happens between your father and I is not your concern. _**I** _am his blood mate, our marriage is as strong as ever, nothing will tear us apart."_

"_Bullcrap," Pfaria shot back defiantly, "if your marriage is so strong, why does he still sleep with that __crazy old bat? Not to mention all the other trophies he's picked up."_

"**Silence!**_" Akasha shouted, and kicked the younger vampire in the teeth with her high-heeled shoes, which knocked her across the floor. "How _**dare** _you speak that way to me! Your father is perfectly happy and content with me, he values my counsel above all others, there's no reason for him to seek comfort from anyone else, and no reason for _**you** _to think otherwise!"_

"_Who do you think you're fooling," the wounded daiyoukai retorted, a twinge of contempt in her voice. "If he truly valued you there'd _**be** _no others. You know I'm right, but you don't want to admit it. Don't you understand, Hahau-e," she asked as she rose to her knees, her earlier contempt replaced by sadness, "you're not changing him, he's changing you. And beating me up is only proving him right. What happened to all your talk about integrity and accountability? You know he doesn't believe in those things, what must he do before you realize that?"_

"_**SHUT UP!**__" the elder vampire roared, and kicked Pfaria in the forehead, which sent her all the way into the far wall. Her body slammed against it with a resounding thud, and it shuddered and actually cracked from the intense impact. "I've had more than enough out of you, young lady! I will not let you second-guess my decisions any longer!" She channeled her colossal youki into her legs, and charged towards her opponent, who was barely able to stay upright. "__**OHODO SHI-**__"_

"_**STOP!**__" a high-pitched voice cried out. Akasha stopped before she delivered the final blow, and looked in the direction of the voice. Her crimson irises beheld a small girl of six had barged into the training room, as her bare feet hurried across the stone floor. She was clad in a simple black dress held up by two thin straps, as her long silver hair flowed behind her._

"_Moka," the barely clad countess began sternly, "what are you doing here? I told you not to get involved!"_

"_Heh, if you don't listen to yourself," her defeated daughter responded, "why should she? Did you forget respect works both ways?"_

_A threatening growl came from Akasha as she glared back at her eldest child. "Don't you dare drag Moka into this!"_

"_Seems she already is."_

_The youngest of the present vampire women stopped in front of her family members. "Hahau-e, why are you hurting Aneue? She hasn't done anything wrong!"_

_A pained grimace crossed the matriarch's features as she regarded her youngest daughter. She definitely hadn't expected her to have entered the fray, which put her in a very compromising position. "Listen to me, darling," the master vampire began, as she desperately wanted to have avoided a lengthy discussion, "this matter doesn't concern you, just wait outside until we're done."_

"_But she's hurt so badly, why are you doing this," the princess asked, confused by the horrific scene before her._

_Akasha glanced back at Pfaria, then knelt down and tightly hugged the small girl before her. "Because I love you both," she began in a mournful voice, "and it pains me when I see either of you going astray. It hurts even thinking about it. So I'll do what I must to keep you two on the right path."_

"_What's the point if you fall off yourself," the wounded vampire asked. "And why aren't you keeping the old man honest?"_

"_Aneue!" Moka snapped. "Don't you talk dare like that about Chichiu-e! He's the strongest and bravest of the Three Dark Lords, the ruler of this castle, the leader of our family, the standard by which all other vampires are judged! He is not to be questioned under any circumstances, defiance will not be __tolerated!"_

_Pfaria groaned weakly as she ruefully shook her head. "How long did he have you rehearsing that speech?"_

"_Enough, you two," Akasha interjected, "this is not the time or place to discuss this matter." She glanced at her younger daughter, a worried expression on her face as he looked away._

"_What's wrong, Hahau-e," the silver-haired girl asked, as she looked to both women. "Hahau-e, were you and Aneue fighting about Chichiu-e again?"_

_The countess emitted a deep sigh as she bowed her head. "Was it that obvious?"_

_Moka frowned as she closed her eyes and folded her arms. "I should've known, you know he hates it when you two fight, he really does love us. He wants us all to be happy together, why can't you realize that?"_

"_Did he actually tell you this," Pfaria asked her sibling._

"_He doesn't have to say it," the younger vampire replied with a dreamy look, "I just know. You should know, too, Aneue, and have faith in Chichiu-e, he always knows what's best."_

_The defeated princess groaned in chagrin, aghast at what she'd just heard. "How badly has he brainwashed you, Moka," she asked with a horrified look. "Is _that _what you want to become when you grow up?"_

"_Silence! Do not dishonor Chichiu-e, or I'll beat you up myself!"_

_The matriarch also looked worried, and yet was also intrigued as she regarded her youngest daughter. "Is that a promise, Moka-chan," she asked, an expectant look on her ageless face as she approached her. "Will you look after your oldest sister?"_

_The youkai child looked back at her mother, surprised that he'd essentially been put on the spot in that instant. She looked back at her sister, and then to the older woman before her. "Yes, Hahau-e," she finally replied. "I'll take care of her, so you won't have to. We all know she can't beat you, so I'll do it myself," she concluded proudly, as she stuck out her chest for emphasis._

_Akasha giggled to herself, amused and yet touched by her daughter's announcement. "Very well, I'll hold you to that, Moka-chan," she spoke with a warm yet devious smile._

"_You can count on me, Hahau-e!"_

_The elder vampire chuckled, and then turned to her fallen child. "Pfaria, do the same for your sister as well." She then moved in close and gently placed her arms around her daughter's torso. "_And I'm sorry I lost control,_" she spoke directly into her child's mind. "_I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you. So please, take care of your sister, and try to make peace with your father. I know he loves you, even if he never says it. So try to love him again, like you used to._"_

_The silver-haired princess couldn't help but cry at her mother's thoughts. Her mental apology touched her heart, and reminded her of why she respected her above everyone else in her life. "Yes, Hahau-e," she whispered._

* * *

Pfaria scowled as her thoughts returned to the present, as she recalled what happened after her fight with her mother. "Promises," she spoke scornfully to herself, "what good are promises if you don't live to keep them?" She grit her teeth together, and exposed her fangs, still livid over the painful memories. "Moka's dead, and Hahau-e, might as well be. They trusted that miserable old bastard, and he, destroyed them." At that moment, another bright light shone ahead of her. She looked forth, and saw the end of the tunnel approaching them, which meant their destination was very close. "But no more," she continued, as she lowered the zipper of her leather jacket, "I'll do what she couldn't." She looked inside her jacket, and caught sight of a metallic sheen. "After tonight, everything will change, forever."

* * *

That did not sound good. What could the eldest sister be plotting, what could her sisters be plotting, what on earth will happen once they reach their destination.

"Hey, don't forget the wicked stepmother, no fable is complete without one."

"Who are you calling wicked I am the most honorable beautiful intelligent desirable magnificent representation of perfection in all the youkai world all other creatures pale before my infinite majesty!"

"Not to mention your infinite objectivity. Finish things up, Author-san, she's going on a rant again."

Sure thing, Mizore-chan. Anyway, tune in next time for Part I Chapter IV Clandestine Castle


	6. Part II Chapter IV

A/N – Hello everyone, hope you all have had a great fall season so far. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, life again has it ways of interfering with one's plans.

"Yeah! You took so long people began to forget about this fic, then no one would've seen me claim Tsukune as my own Mate of Fate!"

"You wish, you narcissistic boob freak! It's gonna be me and Tsukune-san and Moka-san in the final romantic scene!"

"Get over yourself, I'm the only woman for Tsukune."

"Never! Tsukune is mine!"

"_I didn't wait for over two months to be subjected to this nonsense again. __**MINOHODO WO SHIRE!**_"

Um, yeah, that's... one way to handle such disputes. Anyway, while the cast is recuperating, I don't own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So, without further ado, on with the show.

"_Don't worry Tsukune, I know exactly what you need. __**CAPU CHUUUUUUUUUU!**_"

Part II Chapter IV  
Clandestine Castle

A night black stretch limousine exited the dimensional tunnel and drove along the cliff at the edge of Youkai Academy. It continued down the dirt path through the dead forest until it reached the parking lot near the main campus building. Once it had stopped, a tall man of Chinese descent climbed out of the driver's seat, clad in a black suit and tie, with dark sunglasses on his stern visage. He walked back and opened the rear door. Once he did, two figures climbed out of the vehicle. Their features and attire indicated they were also from China. One was an androgynous teenage youth, with long black hair, done in a single braid, which ran down to the middle of his back. His widened purple eyes took in the desolate surroundings. His cohort was clearly female, with a long black ponytail that ran well down her back. Her impassive green eyes were indecipherable, though a noticeable smirk was visible on her pale face.

"Oh my," the young woman dryly remarked, "I must say I am quite, captivated by the setting. Lord Mikogami has definitely captured the decadent atmosphere most exquisitely. A pity it's actually a school, I might've been tempted to live here, I'm sure I could make a lot of good friends."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ling Ling," her companion spoke up.

"This coming from you," she asked with a wry glance.

The Chinese youth groaned and shook his head of long, braided hair, chagrined at his cohort's remarks. "Anyway," he spoke, trying to sound more confident, "we need to investigate the academy to determine if the rumors of Mikogami's death are actually true!" he declared boldly, his left fist ground into his hip and his right index finger pointed into the air above him. "Then we must hunt down these fiends and bring them to justice, for the honor of the great Wong family!"

"Um, Fong Fong," the older girl spoke up, "you do remember Grandfather's instructions, I hope. He explicitly forbade any possible confrontation with Dracula, he's only supposed to be the King of Vampires. I do believe this puts him at a, um, considerably higher standing than yourself."

The inhuman teenager lurched over as a great sense of deflation came over him.

"Come now, dear brother," the dark-haired foreigner spoke in a mildly chiding voice, "we have an investigation to perform. It wouldn't look very becoming for the heir to the Wong family to be lax in his duties, now would it?"

Fong Fong ruefully shook his head, and quickly noticed his sister had begun to depart. "Hey, wait up!" he called out as he hurried after his elder sibling.

* * *

Far from the reaches of the academy, Issa Shuzen watched the scene from his audience chamber, as his hands trembled by his sides. "How dare they," he spoke in a hissing snarl. "He is not the King, _**I AM!**_" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He immediately stiffened and looked about the area, concerned that he might've been overheard. After a few moments, his posture relaxed, and he turned his attentions away from the academy. "And one day, the world shall come to realize this."

He sat down on the remains of his throne, and concentrated. In his mind he saw the images of his daughter and his ex-wife, as they headed towards their respective destinations. "Moka, Akasha," he spoke gravely, "this is not supposed to involve you." He clenched his fists tightly, as the memories of his ancient past returned. "This is my vendetta, and mine alone! I am the only one who can slay him!" he proclaimed expressively, as his voice echoed throughout his audience chamber, and down the empty halls of his castle. "Only I, can put things right."

* * *

The Wong siblings headed down the dirt path, with tombstones lining each side. Ling Ling wore a smile of macabre elation on her pale face as she looked lovingly at each of the grave markers, especially those with skulls on top. Fong Fong was rather leery at his sister's behavior, even though he knew she was a zombie, he found the situation more than a little disturbing, and hoped his relative didn't do anything too outrageous while they were on the academy premises. Considering the import and nature of their mission, he was quite certain the students and personnel wouldn't have been amused by any zombie appearances.

They soon reached the edge of a gothic cathedral of foreign design, which had clearly seen better days. One of the towers that flanked the central part of the structure was badly damaged, and all but the entire apex of the building was completely destroyed, with only a few burned boards and broken stones the only evidence of what it had been. There were numerous smaller holes in the front wall, which made the structure look anything but secure.

Fong Fong's violet eyes went wide with horror, shocked by the destruction before him. He felt himself shaking as he contemplated what could've reduced the once renowned institution to such a decrepit state. "By Great-great-grandfather," he spoke in sheer disbelief, "what on earth happened here?"

"Mm, interesting," his sister mused with an intrigued expression as she lightly rubbed the bottom of her chin with her right index finger, "perhaps his vision wasn't as far-fetched as I originally believed."

"[Who are you!]" a stern male voice demanded from nearby. "[What are you doing here?]"

Both siblings turned and saw a tall man in a track suit headed towards them, holding a kendo sword overhead. He wore a suspicious expression on his lightly tanned face, framed by a thick head of red hair. They quickly recognized his dialect as Japanese. The younger sibling got into a defensive stance, while his sister merely looked wryly at the newcomer.

"Hello, good sir, I am Ling Ling of the great Wong family," the older girl began in Japanese, with a slight bow as she gestured to herself, "and this is my dear younger brother," she continued as she motioned towards him, "Fong Fong. We have come on behalf of the Second Dark Lord, Fuhai Touhou-sama."

The incognito youkai gasped in response, as he unintentionally leaned back, his eyes widened in shock. "Th-th-th-the Second Dark Lord?"

"Indeed. He received a rather, disturbing report yesterday," the Chinese girl continued with a faintly amused smile. "The report stated that his old associate, Mikogami, you probably know who he is."

The redhead nodded, his fearful expression unchanging.

"Yes, it was stated that the First Dark Lord," Ling Ling continued, as she meaningfully looked up towards the top of the ruined structure, "was murdered by a man calling himself, Count Dracula."

"Wh-wh-what are you saying," the tall man frantically demanded. "Are you trying to start a panic?"

"Heaven forbid," the zombie replied with a rather unsettling smile and a light tilt of her head, "but Fuhai-sama is most distressed by these rumors, and sent us here to discern their, validity. Do tell whom we should go to on this matter?"

The still unknown youkai stiffened, and looked very uncomfortable. "Mikogami-sama is, unavailable at this time," he began tentatively. "There, was a terrible fire last night, with many casualties. So, the school is being closed down for the time being."

"What are you saying!" Fong Fong loudly interjected, which startled the red-haired monster. "You would have us believe this was the result of a mere fire? Nonsense!" he declared as he lashed out to his side, his loose sleeve flowing in the breeze he'd created with his actions. "Anyone with half a brain could see the academy was attacked! This was no accident, it was a deliberate assault by an insidious force of pure malice! Count Dracula has struck, and brought this fine establishment to ruin! It is all clear now, we must hunt down this abominable fiend who has Mikogami's immortal blood on his hands!"

"You're wrong!" a more youthful male voice called out.

The Wongs turned and saw three youkai headed towards them, all in the forms of teenage human males. They quickly surmised the newcomers were students, whereas the man they met earlier was a faculty member of some sort. They were of average to heavy builds, with rather bland features which would've helped them blend into practically any crowd. They were clad in somewhat unimpressive attire by the Wongs' estimation, but since they were practically royalty in the Chinese mafia, they admitted their standards were much different than those outside their realm.

"Are we indeed," Ling Ling asked with an intrigued look.

"Yes!" the young man in the middle began with a frightened look. "It was Tsukune Aono-san who killed the Chairman!"

"He wanted revenge for happened to Akashiya-san!" the student on the left added. "He's become, like the Devil himself!"

"This is all Kuyou's fault!" the last of the trio declared. "He betrayed Mikogami-sama and doomed us all!"

"Silence!" the tall man shouted. "We don't need malicious rumors spreading out of control on campus! Now get back to gathering your belongings and prepare to depart! Am I understood?"

The three boys stood straight in a line, their arms firmly against their sides. "Yes, Kotsubo-sensei," the first youth spoke reverently, and promptly bowed his head, as did his companions.

Fong Fong looked to them with a rather surprised expression. "Depart," he asked himself.

"You heard the man," his sister replied as she leaned in his direction, "the school is being closed down. I do believe this gives credence to our, nemesis' claims."

"Fuhai-sama won't like this," the incognito yasha responded with a wary expression, nervous about how his ancestor would've taken the news.

"Undoubtedly, but we'd only be completing the task he assigned us. I'm sure he can formulate a plan of attack after we return," she concluded with a somewhat dark smile on her usually impassive features.

"You're enjoying this too much, Neesan," the younger of the two siblings spoke accusingly.

"Guilty as charged." The female zombie then turned to the newcomers. "Well then, since you were thoughtful enough to arrive," she continued as she reached into the pouch by her side, "would any of you recognize this individual," she asked as she produced a picture which showed the head, neck, and shoulders of a pale young woman with long silver hair, clad in a night black dress, as her image was situated against an eerie ebony background. She showed the picture to everyone before her.

The student on the right took a closer look at the picture, and his charcoal colored eyes widened accordingly. "This is, Akashiya-san," he spoke in a startled voice. "Where did you get this?"

"Same source," Ling Ling replied dismissively. "So, I take it she is a student here?"

Kotsubo sighed wearily as he bowed his head. "Yes, one of our most, renowned pupils," he responded, shame clearly evident on his face and in his voice.

"I see," the dark-haired woman replied with a somewhat creepy smile as she tucked away the photo. She noted they were quite intimidated by her presence, and surmised at least one had determined her nature. Though she was sorely tempted to go into her life story, and remove her head to emphasize her current state, her ancestor had strongly advised against such antics, and not even Ling Ling was bold enough to have risked incurring the ire of a Dark Lord.

"And where, perchance, could we find her," the female zombie asked curiously.

The red-haired man looked to his students, who mutely shook their heads. He then turned back to the Wongs. "We, haven't seen her recently," he admitted with a discouraged look. "I'm afraid you'd have to ask elsewhere."

"I see, thank you for your time," the foreigner replied with a courteous bow of her head, and excused herself along with her brother.

* * *

They continued throughout the premises, and questioned anyone they happened to meet. The names Tsukune Aono and Moka Akashiya were the most frequently mentioned during their long inquiry, along with the names of Kurumu Kurono, Yukari Sendo, and Mizore Shirayuki, three female second-year students who were part of the school newspaper club, as well as the Chairman's assistant, a witch named Ruby Toujyou. They learned the trouble began with the arrival of a European historical researcher named Pierce Colton, who'd come to the academy for still unknown reasons. It was noted that after his arrival, a series of necromantic events occurred on campus, which interested Ling Ling to no end. The series of events culminated with an all-out riot against the corrupt student police who'd supposedly executed Akashiya for conspiring with Count Dracula. The ensuing chaos all but destroyed the school, but was quickly stopped by the reappearance of Akashiya. Those who saw her claimed she'd risen from the dead, and feared she'd come to exact vengeance against the school for ruining her. They also learned the usually docile Aono had become more aggressive and outright violent on the last day, and had even exhibited dark powers that no one knew he possessed. More than a few agreed with the notion that Aono had killed the Chairman, for he was seen headed in that direction.

Their investigation led them to the hospital annex of the academy, where it promptly encountered an obstacle.

"I'm sorry, Wong-san," the receptionist patiently explained, "we cannot release patient records without proper authorization, which we do not have at the moment."

"And just when will you," Ling Ling asked expectantly. "Fuhai-sama will be most displeased with your lack of cooperation. He is the Second Dark Lord, he can make your life, unpleasant."

The office worker squirmed in her chair, quite intimidated by the demure yet clearly threatening demeanor of the foreign woman.

"Is there something wrong," a man in a doctor's uniform asked as he came to the receptionist's desk.

"Ah, Yuji-san," the woman spoke with a sigh of relied, "these are, representatives of the Second Dark Lord, inquiring about Akashiya-san."

The medical practitioner raised his eyebrows in interest at the pair, though his eyes were unsurprisingly guarded. "Representatives of the Second Dark Lord," he mused. "If I might ask, what exactly is his interest in Akashiya-san?"

"That is on a need-to-know basis," the zombie patiently replied with a somewhat foreboding smile.

The resident doctor's gaze turned rueful at that juncture. "That could be a problem."

"How so," Fong Fong asked.

"Earlier today, representatives of the Third Dark Lord arrived, as well as the patient's mother. Needless to say, all records were turned over to them for the time being."

Ling Ling's eyes narrowed dangerously, as several veins appeared on her face. "Shuzen," she remarked darkly, as a foreboding aura arose from her body, "how inconvenient. He just had to spoil our fun, didn't he. Oh, Fuhai-sama will be most displeased with this little setback."

Yuji and the receptionist backed away, very intimidated by the sinister youki emitted by the reanimated corpse.

"Come, dear brother," the Chinese mafia daughter spoke up, "we'll have to look... elsewhere."

The incognito yasha shivered as he felt his sister's aura. "Coming, Neesan."

The two siblings made their way from the hospital annex. No sooner than they left that the receptionist area became much brighter.

* * *

Ayumu drove through the tunnel that led back to the human world. Admittedly, she was very worried about what would've happened when Moka and her friends reached Issa's castle, though she'd already formed a plan of action in the event of a worst case scenario. Though she had no desire for such an incident, she saw little means of avoiding it.

Once she reached the other end, she saw a police barricade across the road and immediately slammed on the brakes, as her car skidded and barely avoided a collision. No sooner than it had stopped that she heard the familiar blare of police sirens, coupled with waves of restrained hostility directed at her.

"You in the Accord!" an amplified male voice spoke over a loudspeaker. "Get out of the car with your hands up!"

Ayumu looked sidelong out the windshield, and saw three police cars blocking the tunnel exit, along with eight officers with weapons drawn and aimed her. She scowled in response, annoyed at being regarded as a criminal. She had an inkling about the mastermind behind the obstacle, though it amazed her that anyone would've guessed to barricade the tunnel. She placed her car in park, and turned off the car. Once she'd pocketed her keys, she opened the door and climbed out of her car. The incognito countess retained her scowl as she dug her knuckles into her right hip.

"What is the meaning of this," she demanded of the police officers before her. "You people better have a good explanation, because I am not amused."

She saw a wary expression over many of their faces, which told her they were very aware of her reputation and standing in the human world. Even from that distance, she detected the scent of fear over a couple of them, which indicated they were of lesser rank within the police force. She watched as one of the officers ducked into his car, and quickly got a hold of his CB. Though she couldn't have accurately heard the conversation over the sirens, she surmised he was contacting his superiors.

A few seconds later, the same officer called for his comrades to hold their fire. He then cautiously approached the displeased woman, a somewhat tense aura about him. "Ah, Akashiya-san," he began in a polite yet guarded voice, "a pity we have to meet under these circumstances."

The incognito countess slightly narrowed her green eyes, as she tightly drew her lips together. She knew they hadn't blocked off the interdimensional tunnel for no reason. She watched as the officer who'd addressed her nervously looked to the side for a moment, quite intimidated by the lawyer's presence. Ayumu surmised they were well aware of her standing in the legal community, and hadn't expected her to have emerged from the tunnel, though she had a good idea of who they had expected to encounter.

"Continue," the legal defender spoke, a hint of mild irritation in her voice.

"Akashiya-san," the patrolman responded, "please come with us, Lieutenant Kuroshiro wants to see you."

An annoyed growl escaped the pink-haired woman, as she bared her clenched teeth at the mention of the last person she desired to have encountered at that juncture.

* * *

Not far from the scene at the tunnel, a pair of men in black suits watched from their vantage point. One had removed his sunglasses, and had a pair of binoculars close to his face. "Confirmed," he spoke flatly, "target vehicle has been sighted. Inform Kamiya-sama immediately."

"Right!" his cohort crisply replied.

* * *

The nigh derelict van and the sleek sports car exited the dimensional tunnel, and continued down the dirt path through a dense forest, as the morning sky hung overhead. The path ran up a winding mountain pass, as the air grew steadily colder outside the vehicles. Kahlua found the way ahead becoming more difficult, as her car wasn't designed for dirt roads. Nevertheless, she and her older sister pressed on up the path, intent on completing their mission, even if they were a day behind schedule.

Inside the larger vehicle, the girls shivered at the change of temperature, save for Mizore who felt right at home in cold climates. She noted their reactions with a bemused expression, though was quite surprised at Moka's present demeanor. She saw the vampire's eyes were locked straight ahead at where Pfaria sat in the front of the vehicle, seemingly unfazed at the sudden coldness within the vehicle. The yuki onna saw no fluctuation in her classmate's intense gaze, nothing to indicate it might've been a mere facade. She realized the vampire was completely focused on fighting her sibling, who continued to steer the Winnebago up the hill, seemingly oblivious to the restrained look of death directed at her.

It was then that the purple-haired girl sensed a strange aura from somewhere outside the vehicle, and an unreadable expression appeared on her face. "I can feel it," she began with a faraway look in her crystal blue eyes, "the House of Apostasy draws nigh."

"Eh, what was that," Kurumu asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you, feeling alright, Mizore-chan?"

"Indeed," the yuki onna replied as she turned to face her confounded friend. "Our destination approaches, and division shall rule the day."

The incognito succubus gave her a dubious glance, and then saw the jewel in the middle of her circlet had a soft icy glow, which made her more than a little chagrined. She looked about, and saw the other girls with equally wary expressions, save for Moka.

Up in the driver's seat, Pfaria looked out of the corner of her eye back to the purple-haired girl. "Don't tell me you're into that fly-by-night fortune telling crap," she remarked in a scathing, sarcastic tone.

"It is not nonsense," the blue-eyed girl insisted in a somewhat perturbed tone, "the prophecy I speak was granted to me by the Snow Priestess, the benevolent overseer of my people, whose visions have guided us for over a century."

"Mizore-chan," Kurumu spoke in an awed voice, clearly unaware of the recently revealed facts.

"Get over yourself," the leather-clad woman shot back. "Fortune tellers are nothing more than a bunch of con artists, trying to scam people out of their hard-earned money. The only bigger con artists are lawyers."

A low growl came from the silver and pink-haired woman in the back seat.

"Say," the driver continued, "you know what you call a lawyer at the bottom of the river?"

"What," Mizore asked dubiously.

"Blessed."

The yuki onna found it less than humorous, and noted none of her friends did either. She saw Moka already had her fangs bared in protest.

"Do you know what's brown and looks good on a lawyer," Pfaria asked.

"What," Yukari asked reluctantly.

"A pit bull."

The young witch groaned in chagrin, unamused by the older woman's attempts at humor. Around that time, a snarling hiss came from the daiyoukai in the back of the Winnebago, which began to intimidate Yukari, along with most of the group.

"You know the difference between a whore and a lawyer," the unrepentant driver asked, a haughty smirk on her somewhat pale features.

"What," Kurumu asked suspiciously, even though she had a good idea of the answer. She cringed as she felt the menacing youki of her classmate, whose eyes glowed a fierce shade of red.

"A whore won't screw you after you're _dead._"

"Alright, that's it!" Moka snapped, incensed as she caught the slight twinge of malice in her sister's voice at the end. She rose to her feet, which tore the seat belt right out from in between the cushions. She stormed up to the front seat, reached out with both hands and wrapped them around her older sister's throat. "You will not dishonor Hahau-e!" she snarled through clenched teeth.

"Careful there, I'm driving," Pfaria replied, a defiant smile on her face despite the intense pressure on her throat. "You wouldn't want us to go over the cliff, would you?"

The young woman looked out the windshield, and saw the Winnebago was in fact driving alongside a cliff, with a very steep drop over the left side. It didn't take her long to realize what would've happened if her sister lost control of the vehicle. At that moment, she felt a crushing grip on her own throat. She looked back, and saw Pfaria's gloved right hand on her neck, while her eyes remained on the road.

"Go ahead," the older vampire growled, "start something. It'll be the last mistake you ever make."

Moka cursed herself for her distraction, which left her open for retaliation. "Let go," she snarled in a gagging voice as she tightened her own grip.

"You first."

Suddenly, the sound of honking came from behind the vehicle. "What's going on up there!" Kahlua's voice shouted from outside. "Pfaria, if Moka-chan gets hurt you're answering to Chichiu-e!"

The pink-haired woman growled in aggravation, as she reluctantly released Moka's throat, who quickly returned the favor. She watched out of the corner of her eye as her passenger turned back to the others.

"You're paying for that seat belt," the driver spoke up.

Moka gave her one last scathing look, then returned to her seat.

* * *

A few minutes later, the vehicles reached the end of the path, which stopped at the edge of a massive stone castle, surrounded by a high wall. The girls slowly filed out of the Winnebago, and then gasped at the sight before them. They looked up, and saw a grandiose structure before them, comprised of a large outer keep, along with several towers that loomed high overhead. Kurumu was awed as she looked to the castle, whose structure looked very similar to the palace Tsukune had fought Shuzen within for the new Rosario. She was also very worried, for she knew her presence was a direct violation of Lilith's warning in her dream. Her hand gripped her rose brooch, very anxious about what could've happened once they entered the stronghold, and encountered the Third Dark Lord.

Suddenly, a loud banging sound, followed by the shattering of glass came from behind them, which broke them out of their train of thought. Moka quickly looked behind her, and raced towards the sports car. She soon found her sister by the driver's side door, which was badly dented and the window all but completely destroyed. The older vampire had her arms crossed under her chest, and an embarrassed look on her face.

"Neesan, are you alright," Moka asked in concern.

"I'm... fine," Kahlua began hesitantly, clearly uncomfortable over the incident. "I, shouldn't have slammed the door that hard," she continued, as she absently rubbed the back of her head. "Guess I don't know my own strength."

The sophomore also winced in embarrassment, as she surmised her counterpart had similar episodes over the week after the barrier almost collapsed.

"Moka-chan," the older vampire asked, which immediately got her sibling's attention, "what happened back there? You didn't try challenging Aneue in the car, did you?"

The silver and pink-haired woman groaned in response, stung by her sister's words. "She was insulting my friends," she finally spoke up, "insulting Hahau-e, I couldn't let that go unchallenged."

Kahlua exhaled irritably, and gave her head of blonde hair a light shake. "Moka-chan," she spoke in a chiding voice, "you could've gotten all your friends killed if Pfaria-chan's car had gone off the road. Didn't you consider that at the time?"

The younger girl winced sharply, aghast at the possibility her sister had described. She realized she'd let her temper get the better of her, as it did her counterpart, with equally disastrous results. "No," she replied mournfully.

The blonde woman exhaled to herself, and lightly wrapped her slender arms around her remorseful sister. "Then you need to apologize to your friends. But before that," she added pointedly, "you must promise to never challenge Pfaria-chan."

Moka inhaled sharply and gave her relative an indignant look. "I can't do that, I made a promise to Hahau-e!"

"Moka-chan, you don't understand!" Kahlua heatedly retorted, as she leaned back and took hold of her younger sibling's shoulders. "Pfaria-chan is a Shinso, a breed of vampire seen only once every few millennia, if that. Her powers and abilities far exceed those of even our stature. I've fought her countless times and I've never beaten her," she continued, as a stray tear ran down her face, "how do you expect to fare any better?"

The former academy student looked off to the side as she considered Kahlua's words. Though the sight of her tears always made her feel apprehensive, she could tell she was extremely worried about her. Though Moka was a bit concerned that not even her stepsister had defeated Pfaria, she surmised her mother also knew it, yet she encouraged her regardless. She began to wonder if her mother had witnessed her fight against Colton, which was one of the few times she'd personally fought. She knew that even if the former Akasha Bloodriver hadn't seen her battle, she still believed in her. She also would've held her accountable if she'd backed down, and the younger Akashiya had no intention of reneging on her and her counterpart's promise.

Moka finally looked back to her sibling, a warm, proud smile on her pale face. "You'll find out, just wait."

The elder youkai groaned loudly, as she winced in aggravation rather than pain. "What must I do to get through to you," she asked imploringly, as she tilted her head back and turned her slender hands over in front of her, her palms facing the skies above.

"Who said you have to," the female vampire asked with a light tilt of her head, which made her mixed locks fall to the side.

"Hey!" Pfaria's voice called out from behind them. "Quit playing with your dolls, you're keeping the old man waiting."

Kahlua hissed to herself, as her hands tightly clenched into deadly fists. "The audacity of that woman," she snarled under her breath.

"Then let me handle her," Moka quietly suggested.

The blonde woman spun around in a huff and headed towards the others. She walked up close to the leather-clad woman and then stopped right beside her. "I'm getting sick of you," she spoke in a flat, hostile voice.

"Likewise," came her sister's unrepentant reply.

The younger Shuzen headed towards the towering double doors that functioned as the entrance to the imposing castle before everyone.

The others girls looked in silence, stunned by the tension amongst the family members.

"What is with them," Kurumu asked in disbelief.

"It's just as Shirayuki-san said," Michiru replied, ever watchful of the Shuzen sisters, "division is ruling the day."

Yukari looked to her in temporary confusion, but then looked to the two vampires, as well as her classmate, and realized the answer to her unspoken question. But it only served to make her even more apprehensive of what lied within the castle walls before them.

Around that time, Moka came up to the others, her arms folded under her chest and a remorseful look on her pale face. "I'm sorry, everyone," she began somberly, "I didn't mean to put you all in danger like that. I just- I couldn't stand those horrible things she said about Hahau-e."

Kurumu sighed softly, reached out and placed her slender hand on the vampire's shoulder. "It's alright, Moka," she spoke with a warm blush, "I'm not blaming you. If she'd said that about my mother, I would've wanted to clobber her, too."

"Even inside a moving vehicle," Mizore asked curiously.

"Hey!" the incognito succubus snapped defensively. "That was a low blow, making bad jokes about her mother!"

"That was the idea."

Ruby shook her head, well aware of their situation and amazed they could've still bickered regardless. "Anyway," she spoke up as she looked to the front doors, "we should follow our hosts inside. Hopefully Lord Shuzen will be willing to provide some aid for our quest."

"He will," Moka replied confidently, "just leave it to me."

The older witch smiled and lightly nodded her head. Though she still had her reservations, she chose not to verbalize them at the moment. "Certainly."

* * *

Kahlua led the group down the twisted hallways of the castle, which comprised of high ceilings supported by arched buttresses. A few odd paintings sparsely decorated the walls, along with a few old knight statues, clearly of Western design. Along with its vastness, the group also felt a great stillness in the air. Sunlight filtered in from the cathedral windows, though it did little to warm the solemn atmosphere about them. Being it the domain of a master vampire, they expected to sense the lord's immense youki about them. However, there was little youki in the air, save for their own, which they found a little disturbing.

"Whoa," Yukari stated with a wide-eyed look, as she felt small and insignificant within the imposing structure, as well as a little unnerved by the apparent lack of life within the abode, "is this where Moka-san lives?"

"Indeed," Kahlua finally spoke up, as she gestured about her. "Behold Castle Shuzen, in all its splendor. Scant few have had the honor of taking in its majesty."

"Where are all the decorations," Mizore asked aloud, as she saw many of the walls were barren, "did you just move in?"

A nervous laugh came from the vampire at the front of the group, as she absently held the back of her head. "You noticed," she remarked in slight self-deprecation. "Yes, we... haven't finished furnishing the castle. I hope you can forgive our current appearance," she continued, and then looked back to her younger sister, "especially you, Moka-chan. But don't worry, it'll completed very soon."

The silver and pink-haired woman said nothing as she continued behind her sibling, an impassive look on her pale face.

Kurumu looked about the area, also unnerved at the stillness of the castle. "Does Shuzen actually live here," she asked warily. "This place, it feels so, empty." She shivered slightly as she clutched the rose jewel on her person.

"Kinda like that tomb a couple of nights back," Mizore added.

The cyan-haired girl gasped as she looked to her classmate, whose face looked expressionless though she walked close to her. The yuki onna reached out and took hold of the slightly shorter girl's hand. Though the incognito succubus shivered at first, she was more relieved, and glad she hadn't come to the castle alone.

"He's here," Moka finally spoke up, a strong air of certainty in her voice, "I can feel him."

The cyan-haired girl became nervous again, as she recalled her ruler's warnings.

"Yes," Kahlua added as she glanced back towards the incognito succubus, "so I hope you act respectful within his domain, he expects nothing less."

"Just don't expect him to return the favor," her older sister quipped from the back.

The blonde woman clenched her teeth together, as her hands shook by her sides. She scowled darkly as she looked back briefly to her irreverent relative, and then looked forward as she continued through the castle.

The youngest of the group pouted at the fractious sisters, appalled that Moka was actually related to them. She looked to her fellow witch, and noted she looked equally as vexed, if not more. As they went forward, she noted her disposition hadn't improved. "Ruby-san," she asked curiously.

The dark-haired woman gasped, as she was broken out of her train of thought. She then looked to her sister in the arcane. "Yukari-chan," she asked in mild confusion.

"Are you alright, Ruby-san?"

The administrative assistant gave her a wincing smile. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me, Yukari-chan."

The younger witch looked somewhat unconvinced, but decided against pressing the issue. Moka glanced behind her towards the dark-haired woman, and narrowed her reddish green eyes. She sensed something amiss about Ruby, though she couldn't have ascertained it at that moment, it felt disturbingly familiar.

"Is something wrong, Moka-chan," Kahlua asked with a concerned look.

The younger vampire looked ahead and closed her eyes, as she folded her arms under her sizable bosom. "It's nothing," she spoke coldly, as her counterpart always had, "proceed."

The blonde woman hummed to herself, though she was also unconvinced, she merely took note of the situation as continued forward.

* * *

Several minutes later, the group stopped by a polished dark oak door, with a Western style doorknob upon it. Kahlua turned the knob, and gently pushed the door, which swung into the room. "Here you go, Moka-chan," she spoke sweetly. "You can relax in here until Lord Shuzen is ready to receive you."

The sophomore girl looked to her stepsister and finally replaced her stoic gaze with a pleasant smile. "Thank you, Neesan," she replied, as she wrapped her slender arms around her fellow vampire's shoulders.

The elder demon was taken aback for a moment, but quickly returned the embrace. As she held her sister, the sound of heavy boots reached her ears, which soon faded. She inhaled sharply and opened her eyes, startled by the ominous yet familiar sound. She looked to the back of the group, and saw one conspicuous absence amongst them. "Pfaria Shuzen, where the hell are you!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"You don't need to shout," an annoyed yet familiar voice spoke from past the door, "I can hear you perfectly fine."

Moka briefly glanced at her immediate sister, as it was rare that she ever swore. She then turned to the open doorway, as she placed her slender hands on her round hips. "What are you doing in my room, Aneue!" she demanded irritably.

"Last minute cleaning, stupid sister missed a spot."

"I most certainly did not!" Kahlua snapped defensively, as she placed her hands on her hips and glared inside the room. "Come out here this instant!"

"Yeah yeah, don't get your panties in a bunch."

A few moments later, the same sound of heavy boots came from inside the room, and then the eldest of the four sisters emerged, as she dusted off her gloved hands. "Geez, I can't count on you to do anything right. Come on, you can explain your latest screw-up to the old man."

"Don't you dare blame this on-" Kahlua began, and then noticed as her sister walked right past her, and further down the hall. "Get back here!" she shouted as she raced after her elder sibling.

Moka shook her head, frustrated by the tension between her family members. Once she felt they were far enough down the hall, she motioned into the room with a warm, inviting smile. "Come inside, everyone," she spoke to her friends.

The cyan-haired girl sighed in relief as she recognized the more familiar demeanor of her close friend. "Gladly," she replied as she headed into the room. "They definitely clear the air when they leave," she muttered.

"You think," Mizore asked curiously.

* * *

The girls entered the spacious chamber, awed by the sight before them. The entire perimeter of the room interior was decorated by a deep crimson wallpaper, with a thick matching carpet that covered the entire floor. A queen-size bed was situated near the lone window on the far end of the room, which cloaked by crimson drapes. The huge bed had a high golden headboard, with deep velvet pillows and covers, which practically screamed of royal status. By the west wall was a huge bureau, made of deep polished oak, with several drawers. Yukari was tempted to look inside but a sharp glare from Moka quickly dispelled such notions. Next to the dresser was a moderately-sized bookcase, filled partially with over thirty different tomes, according to Yukari's count. To the left of the window was an elegant desk and nightstand combination, with a small antique lamp upon it. Next to the bed was a sliding door, with a full-length mirror which all but took up the full length of the door, save for the handle. The mirror had a rich gold frame with bat carvings within. Situated near the southeast corner was a more Western-style door.

The girls noticed the mirror and quickly headed towards it. Kurumu looked at herself for several long seconds, a discouraged look on her face. Privately, she felt so inadequate in light of the task her queen had laid before her, and looked away from the others. Yukari glanced at herself next, somewhat annoyed that she hadn't grown further, but then she held the earring Aeon had granted her, and her smile returned. Mizore's expression was indecipherable as she regarded her reflection, though she was quite annoyed that Jack Frost had essentially blackmailed her into assisting on behalf of her people, as well as the strange visions she'd received since her encounter with the legendary demon. Ruby seemed quite introspective, and hesitant to gaze at herself. Michiru glanced at herself briefly, and bowed her head as she remembered the fate of her fallen superior, and vowed to prevent anyone else from sharing his fate, especially Tsukune Aono. As she moved aside, Moka finally walked forward and stood before the mirror. The reflection of the pale visage, the slitted red irises, and the long mane of silvery pink hair that greeted her still unsettled her. She tilted head back and opened her mouth wide, which revealed her deadly fangs. Her eyes gazed down to the rise and fall of her own chest, and the lifeless cross that rested upon it. The daiyoukai tightly shut her eyes, as she gripped her keepsake with her slender hand. "_Ura-chan,_" she thought to herself, "_how can I explain this to Chichiu-e?_" A lone tear ran down her cheek, as she stifled a pained sob. "_But I must, I only hope he knows a way to bring you back._" She looked back to her reflection, reached out and touched the glass surface with her elongated digits, and lightly stroked them down the face of the mirror. "_He must._"

"Moka-san," Yukari's voice asked in a troubled voice.

The female vampire lightly gasped, and then looked back to the small witch, who wore a concerned expression on her young face. She then looked to the others, who were also visibly concerned. She lowered her head, closed her eyes and smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry to have worried you," she finally spoke, "I guess I'm still not used to this, new look." She sighed lightly, and then opened her eyes again. "But don't worry, once my business with Chichiu-e is finished, we're going to find Tsukune."

"Yay!" the youngest of the group declared.

"Hmm," Kurumu muttered with a relieved smile, "thought so."

"Tsukune," Mizore spoke with a dreamy look, as she intertwined her fingers and sighed in elation.

The older witch said nothing, but nodded in approval, a somewhat forced smile on her face.

"Is something wrong, Ruby," Moka asked with a suspicious yet still concerned look. "You've been acting strangely since we arrived."

The dark-haired sighed in response. "You're right," she spoke, more angrily than she'd intended. "I... don't know what it is, I only became aware of it once we entered the castle."

The daiyoukai hummed to herself, and lightly stroked her chin with her long fingers. "Perhaps you should lie down," she suggested, "I'll take care of matters with Chichiu-e."

Ruby actually managed another smile. "That might be for the best," she conceded, though she remained standing.

The silver and pink-haired woman seemed pleased with her response, and turned to the others. "So, until Chichiu-e summons me," she continued with a welcoming smile as she spread her arms out wide, "make yourselves comfortable." Her head lowered slightly as her crimson gaze turned towards Yukari. "Just not _too_ comfortable," she concluded with a toothy grin that exposed her long incisors.

The younger girl laughed nervously under the vampire's gaze, which she'd used on her once before during her infamous growth spurt, courtesy of Yakumaru. "Sure thing, Moka-san."

The super monster smiled in dark satisfaction as the witch joined her friends, who'd gathered around the bed. Moka took the opportunity to look over her shoulder at her reflection again. From the rear, she still looked pretty much the same, save for her hair. However, since the others were in the room, especially Yukari, she didn't dare investigate any further. She shifted her weight onto her right leg, then onto her left, and wondered if Tsukune would've liked her new look. The very thought made her blush, and it reminded her of her dream the night before, which made her blush even brighter. She admitted she still cared deeply for Tsukune, and wanted to save him regardless of the cost. She also knew he was the one who'd cursed her Rosario and practically killed her alter ego. She had no idea how she would've explained it to her father, who was incensed when they last met. She turned back to the mirror, and emitted a deep, mournful sigh as she thought about her missing friend. "Tsukune," she said under her breath, and moved the sliding door to the side. The sight that she beheld on the other side made her gasp.

"What is it," Kurumu asked she immediately came to her side, with most of the others right behind her. The voluptuous teenager looked through the newly-revealed opening, and saw a huge closet, filled with a various assortment of gowns and dresses. She looked back to the vampire, who was shocked by what she saw. Curiously, she reached in amongst the secured garments, and removed a bright and rather conservative dark red evening gown, which looked like it came from her mother's wardrobe, only it was more expensive and less risque. She hung it back up, and looked down at the floor of the closet. Once she did she saw several dozen pairs of shoes, which ranged from low to high heels, along with several pairs of elegant heiress boots. The cyan-haired girl's violet eyes narrowed dangerously, as a dark scowl appeared on her face.

"Wow," Yukari spoke up in awe, "Moka-san has such nice dresses, desu."

"Too many nice dresses," the incognito succubus muttered, suspicion as well as a hint of jealousy in her voice. "Didn't Kahlua say they _just_ moved in?"

Moka narrowed her eyes, as she immediately knew exactly where Kurumu was headed with her train of thought. "Check the bureau," she spoke crisply without looking in her direction.

"Right."

As the shorter girl headed for the bureau, Moka turned and opened the door near her disturbingly full closet. She walked through the doorway and found herself inside an elegant bathroom. There was a large tub near the far wall, with a small carpet near the side. Off in the far corner, she found a small closet full of red and black-colored towels, along with another full-length mirror. A dangerous hiss escaped through her clenched teeth, as she bared her fangs in anger.

She returned to her bedchamber, and found Kurumu by the recently-opened bureau. She stormed over and looked through the drawers. The top one was filled with several pairs of undergarments, stockings, as well as sleeping attire. The middle drawer contained more informal but still very noble-looking blouses, while the bottom held modest looking skirts. She growled in aggravation, as she slammed the drawer back into the bureau, which caused the huge piece of furniture to shudder in response. The vampire princess remained on her knees, her shoulders heaving in anger. The others were quite intimidated, as they'd rarely seen Moka so angry in her sealed form. She slowly rose to her feet, and closed the remaining drawers, though it did nothing to soothe her raging ire. She slammed her hands on the bureau, as her breathing came out in angry spurts.

"Moka-san," Ruby finally spoke up, as she felt her inner turmoil increasing, "what's wrong?"

The incensed demon got her breathing under control, and then turned to the older woman. "Look around you," she retorted flatly, as she gestured about the chamber. "Doesn't it seem odd that my room is completely furnished, while the rest of the castle has barely been touched?"

Yukari looked on blankly, as she still failed to understand what Moka had meant. Kurumu's scowl had grown darker, as she knew exactly what was amiss. Mizore was still at a loss, but she knew enough to become suspicious of the situation.

"I don't understand," the administrative assistant spoke in confusion. "Why would Lord Shuzen go to all this trouble to insure your room was complete before we arrived?" It was then that a terrifying notion came to her. "Unless-"

Before she could've continued, a humongous youki radiated from deeper within the castle, and the room began to shake from the oppressive demonic aura. Everyone huddled together as they tried to maintain their balance amidst the unexpected phenomenon, which reminded them of the time they'd encountered Dracula's essence beneath the academy dungeon. And though it didn't quite match the aura of their newfound enemy, its strength and dark nature were completely undeniable. Clearly it dwarfed the aura of Inner Moka, though none would've spoken it at that juncture.

"What in the world is that!" Kurumu asked above the clamor, trembling from the vile aura she felt.

"Such a horrible power!" Yukari spoke in a nigh whimper, as her feelings of inadequacy were magnified.

"It's Chichiu-e," Moka called out over the clamor, "he seems pretty angry."

Mizore simply shrugged, surprisingly unfazed by the unholy manifestation outside their chamber. "I would be too if my daughters arrived a day late," she suggested.

Moka immediately spun around, a scathing glare on her pale face. "A **day!**" she screamed at the yuki onna. "When were you going to tell me this!"

Before an explanation could've been offered, another powerful aura was felt, from inside the room. Everyone turned, and saw an enraged dark-haired witch, whose eyes glowed with intense hatred as she radiated a seething murderous intent, even worse than when the group fought her at Witch's Knoll.

"Ruby-san!" Yukari called out to the older woman.

"[Foul misbegotten spawn of apostasy!]" the spellcaster announced in a foreign dialect. "[Thou doth liveth still? Thine continued existence dost be verymuch like a festering cancer unto mineself! For spilling the blood of mine kin, verily I shalt exact a thousand times the measure of vengeance to repayest thou for each of the foul deeds committed by thine sinful hands!]"

"What the hecht!" Kurumu exclaimed, as waves of terror and confusion raged through her teenage heart.

Michiru trembled as she instantly realized the witch's situation. "She's been, possessed! But by what?"

"_**RUBY-SAAAAAAAAAN!**_" the small brunette desperately cried out.

"[Away from me, infernal creature!]" the spellbound Ruby announced threateningly, as she reached behind her back and produced a familiar coiled whip, which glowed with the same aura as its current wielder. She then reared back, which unbound the weapon in her hand. Yukari quickly scampered away as the whip came crashing down on her former position, which left a noticeable gash on the floor. "[None shalt standeth between mine vengeance and mineself!]"

Kurumu immediately reached out and grasped the smaller girl in her protective embrace. "Crap! What the hecht's going on here!"

"Oh no," Mizore muttered blankly, as she eyed the weapon in the witch's hand, "don't tell me-"

Before she could've elaborated further, an incensed demonic scream pierced the air. The next thing anyone saw was a blurred image, followed by a thundering blow that knocked the bewitched Ruby through the west wall, into the room behind it, through the far wall and into the next room. And yet, the destruction they witnessed seemed tame compared to the seething aura of the castellan which continued to rage deeper within the castle.

Everyone looked to the freshly made hole, and saw before it stood an infuriated Moka, cloaked in a malefic ebony and crimson aura, and her elongated fangs bared in anger. "How dare you," she began, her voice thick with inhuman rage as she walked through the hole, "how dare you bring that... _**thing**_ with you!" she managed, almost too furious for words. Even though she realized Ruby wasn't in control of herself, the very sight of the Vampire Killer infuriated her like little else, as she remembered the pain it caused her several days back.

A few moments later, the possessed woman regained her footing, a more wary look in her glowing eyes. "[Thou wouldst stand against me, demon spawn,]" she asked venomously, "[very well, thou shalt perish along with the foul lord of this manifestation of hell!]"

"What on earth," Michiru inquired with a thunderstruck look, "how can Toujyou-san still stand after such a crushing attack?"

"Ruby's a lot tougher than she looks," Mizore explained, as she remembered their battle the previous year, "one kick won't be enough to defeat her."

Kurumu shook her head irritably. Though she didn't understand a word the spellbound youkai spoke, her murderous intent was easily understood, and she an inkling about who she intended to kill. "Come on!" she called urgently. "Moka might actually kill her this time!"

"Coming!" Yukari interjected as she followed the others.

Back in the adjacent room, the possessed Ruby and Moka still battled fiercely against one another. The dark-haired woman lashed out with the legendary weapon, which wrapped itself around the vampire's neck, who grimaced and attempted to dig her fingers in between the coils of leather to remove it, as crackles of black energy surrounded her body. But before her efforts got too far, the witch yanked up with the whip, which pulled her captive into the air, and then slammed her hard onto the floor with a resounding thud. She repeated the process two more times, but then Moka grabbed onto the straightened length of the whip and pulled with her demonic strength, which brought Ruby flying off her feet towards her. Once she got close, the super vampire unloaded with a high kick which knocked the witch up into the ceiling, that shuddered from the tremendous impact but still held. The dark-haired woman's body landed hard on the floor.

Moka quickly unwrapped the whip from around her neck, and hurled it on the floor. She winced and held her neck, as spasms of pain shot through her body. She knew it wasn't just because her collisions on the unforgiving floor, but contact with the whip that caused her such agony. She quickly brushed aside her introspective thoughts and focused on the battle again, as she noted that despite being prone on the floor, Ruby had still not relinquished the whip. The enraged daiyoukai moved in and raised her right foot off the floor, aimed at the fallen woman's head. The spellbound witch quickly rolled away as Moka's foot crashed down hard onto the floor, which caused the whole room to shake even more violently than already being done by Shuzen's raging aura.

Ruby quickly got to her feet again, and lashed out with a vicious strike with the whip. The female vampire gracefully dodged to the side as the deadly tip struck the floor, which left another gash. The possessed witch reared back for another attack, but Moka leaped forward and tumbled across the floor past the dark-haired woman just as her opponent released her leather weapon. The S-class monster stopped her tumbling, bent over on her hands and kneed, and unloaded a devastating back kick behind the witch's knees, which knocked her tumbling backward in midair until she crashed viciously onto the floor.

"Ruby-san!" Yukari wailed, as tears streamed from her violet eyes, aghast at what unfolded before her. "Why, why is this happening?"

Kurumu stood by her with an appalled look, both at the ensuing violence and her inability to have provided a sufficient answer to her classmate. She turned her attention to the yuki onna, who also watched the brutal encounter. "Mizore-chan, is this what you meant?"

The purple-haired girl shook her head, and shivered as she remembered the times she fought against the vampire. "No," she remarked, as she desperately wished the violent scene before her wasn't happening, "this can't be real." She looked on sadly, and watched as her classmate pounced upon the fallen witch and kept her pinned down. "Moka."

The silver and pink-haired woman breathed angrily as she clamped down with her superhuman grip on her opponent's right wrist, while she pulled her head off the floor with a handful of ebony hair, as her fangs were bared in barely restrained fury. The youngest of the group looked on, and was horrified when she saw blood on her fellow witch's exposed forehead.

"[Get out of my friend you insolent wench!]" the daiyoukai growled in English though clenched teeth, which she found was closest to the dialect spoken by her enemy.

"[Nay! Verily dost I claim that I shalt never bendeth to thine unholy will, demon! I dost swear in the name of mine betrothed and his kin, who art also mine kin, to never seek repose til the day cometh that their blood doth be avenged! And that malefic abhorrence, spawned by that ungodly traitor, is verily cast down into the eternal fires of Hell, where all thine ungodly kind doth belong!]"

An infuriated hiss escaped the inhuman woman, who viciously slammed her captive's head hard onto the floor. She slid off to the right of Ruby, tightly grasped her right wrist and forcefully pulled her to her feet. She loaded with six hard kicks to the stomach, as each blow knocked the possessed witch more than a foot off the ground, yet the vampire to refused to release her. She nailed the spellbound youkai with a thundering high kick, which violently snapped her head back, coupled with loud cracking sounds. Unrelenting, the vampire turned her body, pulled Ruby over her shoulder and slammed her hard on the floor, which shuddered under the tremendous impact.

Kurumu continued to watch the heated battle, which she feared was just nearing its conclusion. Once the room stopped shaking, she felt a certain stillness about them. At first it puzzled her, but then it dawned on her that she longer felt the monstrous aura of the castle lord, and saw it as a very bad sign. "Moka!" she called out urgently. "Hurry up before your father finds out about this!"

"Eep!" Yukari cried out, terrified at the thought of Lord Shuzen possibly appearing on the scene.

The vampire pulled her opponent up by her heavily fractured wrist. Yet even with her injuries, the possessed witch refused to release the whip, which infuriated Moka to no end. "[I've had enough of that hateful tongue of yours,]" she growled viciously, as her free hand clasped onto Ruby's throat. "[And for threatening my family and my friends,]" she went on, as she menacingly tightened her grip, "[I'm going to shut you up **permanently!**]" With a comparatively light toss, the possessed woman's body went up slightly into the air, barely grazed the ceiling and began to descend, just as the daiyoukai began to spin in place. "_**MINOHODO WO SHIRE!**_" she shouted, and nailed her falling opponent's body with a devastating reverse back kick, that knocked back through the same walls as before, then through the east wall of Moka's room and slammed against the back wall of her bathroom, which cracked severely from the impact.

Ruby's body crumpled onto the floor in a broken heap, as her glowing eyes became distant. "[No, this must not be,]" she spoke weakly, as her consciousness began to fade. "[Leon, I hath... failed thee.]" With that, the dark-haired woman's eyes shut, and the menacing aura about her dissipated. The whip she'd previously clutched so tightly fell from her grasp, and landed on the floor beside her.

"_**RUBY-SAAAAAAAAAN!**_" Yukari screamed in sorrow as she ran to the fallen woman's side. "Ruby, please, please don't leave us! Don't leave me, desu!" she pleaded, as tears streamed from her eyes. "Ruby-san!" She wept openly as she buried her grieving head into her fellow witch's shoulder.

Kurumu mutely looked on, almost shocked into silence. Though she warned against traveling to Castle Shuzen, she certainly hadn't expected, or desired such a tragedy. She turned her helpless face to the troubled silver-haired woman, who looked less than elated over her victory. "Moka," she finally managed to ask, "why? Why did this have to happen?"

Moka tightly folded her slender arms under her chest, as she tried to stop shivering. She had planned to challenge Pfaria to single combat, and yet the disaster before her made the notion of battle seem pointless. She merely closed her troubled eyes, as she grimaced in anguish over what she'd wrought.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the girls, hidden on the inside of the still-standing bookshelf was a small audio receiver, which remotely transmitted their conversation to another part of the castle. On the other end of the transmission, a lone figure listened intently to what occurred in Moka's room.

* * *

Holy smokes! Is Ruby going to live? How will this affect Moka's meeting with her immortal father? Just who received that secret transmission? And what's to become of Ayumu, as she contends with the local police?

"Did you just compare me to... _**HIM?**_ I should rip your body into a hundred tiny pieces and then devour your soul for such supreme insolence!"

"_Go right ahead, Chichiu-e, he deserves no less for removing me from the storyline._"

"Don't worry, Moka-san, Tsukune-san will save you, and then we'll be together at long last!"

"_We?_"

"Tsukune, Tsukune, Tsukune, let's praise our God!"

Um, come again?

"Looks like Mizore-chan got bored and began reading Perishable Wings: Blood Stained Saint again. Gosh, why are people trying to portray me as a villain? I'm the nicest person I know."

"We know that, Tsukune. You're the nicest, sweetest, tastiest-"

"On no, Moka-san!"

_CAPU CHUUUUUUUUUU!_

Brother, anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter V The Grand Fall


	7. Part II Chapter V

A/N I am feeling ill today. No, I'm not sick, I just read the raws for the last chapter of the manga. All I can say is, BLARGH!

"Um, she's not appearing in this fic, is she, Author-san?"

No, Tsukune, I'm sticking with the OC's I've created, as I'm quite happy with them. Very happy, even.

"Hey Al, I didn't know you had any sisters."

"She's, not my sister."

"You sure? She definitely takes after your old man."

"Did you have to bring him up?"

What he said. And as always, I do not own Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania. They are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, while I try to recover from grand debacle that just happened, on with the show.

"Warning, the following chapter contains scenes of intense and unabashed narcissism. The easily offended need not read."

Yeah, thanks Mizore-chan.

"No charge."

Part II Chapter V  
The Grand Fall

Moka looked on as Yukari continued to wail helplessly at what had become of her fellow witch, something the daiyoukai knew she'd personally caused. She was aghast at what she'd done, but even more so by her classmate's brokenness. She slowly walked forward towards the smaller girl. "Yukari-chan," she began tentatively as she reached out with her right hand.

"Get away from me!" the young witch shrieked as she spun around and viciously slapped away the vampire's hand, as bitter, angry tears flowed from her violet eyes. "How dare you do this to Ruby-san! You could've killed her back there, how could you! Don't you care about Ruby-san?" She turned back to her fallen friend. "Well I do, and I'm not talking to you anymore! So leave me alone!" The child prodigy then buried her small head in her fellow witch's shoulder once more, mortified over what had befallen her.

Moka merely stood in mute shock for several seconds, her mouth slightly agape and her oddly-colored eyes widened in response. Even though she was stunned Yukari had actually lashed out at her, privately she'd didn't blame her after what happened earlier. She grimaced in mental anguish, and tightly folded her arms under her chest, as she desperately tried to will the pain and guilt away.

Kurumu stood dumbfounded, unsure about how to soothe her friend's obvious pain. She looked to Mizore, who wore a similar expression on her pale face. The yuki onna also looked away, a great sense of helplessness about her. Michiru looked amongst the three, then to the grieving girl on the floor. Realizing none of them had to stepped forward, she took the initiative and approached the despondent girl. She stopped short of her body and knelt down beside her.

"Yukari-san," she began gravely.

"Go away," the child prodigy muttered bitterly.

The former PSC agent didn't react, unsurprised by the witch's sullen response. "Yukari-san, I know you're appalled at what just happened, but think about what happened for this."

The child prodigy looked up to her, sadness and confusion on her face.

"Whatever entity possessed Toujyou-san only did so after it sensed Lord Shuzen's aura. And I don't doubt had she managed to escape the room, she would've immediately targeted him. Can you imagine how disastrous it would've been had she attacked him instead? Think of how he would've reacted if he discovered we brought the whip of Belmont here."

Yukari gasped in shock, horrified at the concept. She covered her mouth, and privately admitted she hadn't considered the possibility that Ruby would've attacked someone other than them. She looked to Michiru, then back to her fellow witch on the floor, and cringed at the thought of her attacking the Third Dark Lord as she had Moka. "Ruby-san!" she all but shrieked as she tightly clung to the fallen woman with all the physical strength in her prepubescent body.

The lone vampire in the room looked gravely at the smaller girl, and let her arms fall to her sides. "She's right, Yukari," she began in a low voice. "Ruby vowed to kill Chichi-ue." She shivered fearfully as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I couldn't, let that happen! He would've killed her without a second thought, and that's only if she got by Neesan and Aneue first."

Mizore's mouth gaped open, and her lollipop fell onto the floor as she envisioned the scenario Moka had suggested. "Oh crap," she exclaimed with a blank look of shock, "I hadn't thought of that. They probably would've wasted us, too."

"You're right, it is our duty as Chichi-ue's daughters to defend him from any possible threats." She sniffled lightly as she looked to the young brunette kneeling on the floor. "So hate me if you must, Yukari. But believe me, the last thing I want is for any of you to die."

The child prodigy looked to the floor, troubled by her conflicting feelings. She still thought fondly of Moka, as well as Ruby, and was heartbroken when they fought one another. And though she had no reason to doubt the daiyoukai, the sting of betrayal, even if unintentional, remained. She wondered why they'd even come to the castle, especially in light of current circumstances. With that, she laid down upon her fellow witch's body, still distraught over her fate.

The silver and pink-haired haired woman said nothing, and slowly closed her eyes as she solemnly bowed her head. At that moment, she felt a light hand upon her shoulder. She looked over, and saw the young woman who she originally believed was the new academy nurse. "Michiru."

"It'll be alright, Akashiya-san. I'm certain she'll forgive you in time."

The daiyoukai looked away for a moment, then turned back and gave her a wan smile. "Thanks for standing up for me, Michiru."

"That's what friends are for," the dark-haired woman responded with a soft smile and a light tilt of her head, "right?"

A faint blush dusted the sophomore's pale cheeks as her smile broadened. "Yes," she replied warmly, as she wrapped her arms around the undercover agent's back and pulled her close, "good friends."

Yukari looked back to the pair as they silently held one another. Her eyes then went to a corner of the room, as she processed what her friends had relayed. "Time," she said to herself, and then touched the earring she'd received in her dreams. "Aeon-san."

* * *

Outside the castle, situated far enough to have avoided detection, a lone figure in a blinding white jacket looked up towards the window of the room where he sensed six presences, one of which he encountered recently. "Your new friend is correct, young Sendo," he spoke clinically. Though he knew he wouldn't have been heard, he still kept the young witch at the forefront of his mind. "When permitted, wounds can be healed by time. I hope you come to realize this over the course of journey." He reached into his coat, and pulled out his large pocket watch. "And do not doubt the import of your presence here," he continued, as he opened the watch, "for tonight the fate of the House of Shuzen will be decided. Whether it stands, or falls." He closed the implement in his hand, and placed it back into his pocket. "Nothing remains a secret forever, all things are eventually revealed in time."

* * *

Mizore looked to the others, a tad more relieved that the atmosphere had significantly lightened. "Okay, now that we've cleared that up, how are we gonna clean up this mess?"

Kurumu surveyed the damage outside the bathroom. She then looked to the yuki onna for a moment, and then a devious smile crossed her soft features. "Hmm, maybe we won't have to."

"Come again," the purple-haired girl asked suspiciously.

"I mean, there's no way to hide all this," she explained, as she gestured to the destruction beyond the broken wall, "so why bother. All we really need to do is hide the Vampire Killer, right?"

"And just _how_ do you intend to explain to this to Lord Shuzen," Michiru asked with a dubious expression, her left hand on her hip. "I doubt he'll be very amused."

"I have a plan," the incognito succubus retorted with a truly devilish grin. "But I'm gonna need everyone's help on this."

"This better not be like your last one," Mizore countered, a hint of warning in her usually calm voice.

"Oh no, nothing like that!" Kurumu replied defensively, as she held out her hands for emphasis. "Come here."

The others converged on her position, and she began whispering her intentions.

* * *

Kahlua made her way to Moka's room, clad in her more familiar silver gown. Though she felt more at ease in her regal attire, she was well aware of the cruel acts she committed in her current raiment, not to mention the acts she had yet to commit.

It had been some time since the meeting with Lord Shuzen, who was incensed that they'd arrived a day behind schedule. She noted Pfaria had barely paid attention throughout the whole discourse, and made herself scarce once it was over. But the second-eldest daughter of the Third Dark Lord had no doubts her errant sister would've been present for the meeting, where she planned to resolve matters with her, by any means necessary. However, that still left the matter with Moka, who was nothing like her father had described. Though she loathed the thought of raising her hand against her younger sister, what she learned at the academy still troubled her, and planned to remedy the situation before it got out of hand.

Finally, she stopped at the door of her sister's room, and lightly rapped upon the hard oak with her gloved knuckles. "Moka-chan," she inquired softly, "are you ready?"

"Just a moment," came her sister's voice from the other side of the door.

The sound of footsteps came from inside the room, coupled with the pained groans of several people, which startled the elder sister. A few seconds later, the door slowly opened, and she watched as her sibling slowly exited the room, her eyes closed and her arms folded under her chest. Kahlua gasped as she saw red marks on her neck, scratches and bruises on her face, and her school uniform looked a bit rumpled.

"Moka-chan!" the blonde woman exclaimed in shock, and instinctively reached out and took hold of her sister's shoulders. "What happened? Are you alright?"

The younger demon said nothing for several seconds, which worried her sister immensely. "I'll be fine," she finally spoke, her eyes still closed.

Kahlua shook her head, less than encouraged by her sibling's response. "Moka-chan, don't be like that. I'm only here to help."

"Do we really have time to worry about such trivial matters," the silver and pink-haired woman replied pointedly. "We need to see Chichi-ue, we've only kept him waiting a **day,**" she concluded, as she opened her eyes, which flashed in anger, and exposed her fangs to punctuate her statement.

The regally-dressed vampire instinctively backed away, as a nervous laugh escaped her lips. The memory of her father's ire over her tardiness was still fresh in her mind, as were the bruises of being tossed into the walls of his throne room. "You... heard."

"Yes," Moka replied flatly, her fangs still exposed, "and I was not pleased that my friends failed to inform me of your arrival. I don't appreciate anyone keeping secrets from me," she finished, her voice dripping with cold menace.

Kahlua couldn't help but shiver as her sister's burning gaze met her own. She immediately knew she hadn't only referred to her friends, which troubled her to no end. The last thing she wanted was for her younger sister to have become fully aware of her agenda, which would've made things incredibly difficult. She closed her eyes, and slightly bowed her head as she emitted a mournful sigh. "You definitely take after your father," she conceded.

She heard a light chuckle from her sister, which did nothing to reassure her. She opened her eyes, and saw a knowing smirk on the silver-haired woman's face. Shaking her head, she looked past her relative into the room behind her. And even from her vantage point, she could've seen the cracks in the far wall. She quickly moved past her sibling and fully entered the room. Her eyes went wide as she got a full view of the devastation around her. The north wall had been cracked, and near it laid the body of the purple-haired girl she first met before her capture the previous day. A pained groan escaped the fallen youkai, and her crystal blue eyes had a glazed look to them. It reminded her of the many times she herself had been slammed into a wall by her father, which made her cringe. She looked to the west wall, and saw a huge gaping hole in it. Near it was the body of a dark-haired woman, clad mostly in black. Kahlua's eyes narrowed, as she remembered her in the same uniform worn by the student police, who'd interfered with her mission the previous day. She looked further down the wall, and saw the bookshelf had been destroyed, with all the tomes scattered about the floor. Near the broken piece of furniture was the body of a cyan-haired girl, in a very compromising position. Her head and neck were flat against the floor, while her back was against the wall, which caused her large chest to nearly lie in her face. Her long legs limply hung down, which revealed her bright yellow underwear. Kahlua slapped her gloved hand over her crimson irises, as she tried to get the image out of her mind. She quickly turned around, and saw the door to the private bathroom had been clearly knocked out of its frame. She immediately went inside, and saw the body of Ruby Toujyou on the floor. Her injuries were clearly evident, and were by far the worst among the group. The regally-dressed vampire's eyes went wide, and she covered her open mouth in horror at what she saw. She ducked outside, and saw the sliding door to Moka's closet had also been broken down. More than that, the clothes rack had been broken, and both halves hung loosely in their sockets, which caused several of the dresses to fall off as a result. Amongst the wreckage was the body of the young girl, dressed in a witch's attire, face down on the floor.

Kahlua backed into the center of the room, with both hands on the sides of her fair head. "I don't believe it," she began in a horrified, broken voice. "I spent the better part of a night getting this room ready!" She looked back to the ruined closet. "I even picked out enough clothes for you to last a month!" The blonde woman slowly turned back to Moka, as tears began to stream down her face. "Oh," she continued in a sobbing voice, "this, this **really** **makes me sad!**"

The elder vampire bunched her shoulders together, and then emitted an ear-piercing shriek of sorrow, mortified that her labor had been reduced to nothing. As she continued to wail, a familiar aura rushed by her, and then she felt a powerful kick right in her stomach, with knocked her out of the room and into the wall outside.

The vampiric princess got her feet under her, and quickly regained her bearings. Once she did, she saw her sister charging right at her. She quickly rolled along the wall to avoid the oncoming attack, and actually felt the stone surface shake once it connected. She turned back to her sister, who'd just removed her right foot from the hole in the wall she made but a moment before. "How could you do this," she asked with a despondent look, as she charged in with a knifehand strike aimed at just below Moka's throat. The younger woman expertly blocked the attack, spun on her toes to her sister's blind side, and nailed her in the back with another kick. Kahlua sailed forward several feet, and then tumbled repeatedly across the floor. She quickly recovered, and then used her momentum to regain her footing. "Everything I've done here was for you!" she exclaimed as she looked back, and saw an oncoming Moka headed her way. The blonde woman deftly moved aside as her sister's flying kick sailed past her. She then converged on her sister before she had landed on the floor, and aimed a front kick right at her head, but her managed rolled to the side and she hit nothing but air. She almost lost her balance from the force of the missed attack, but managed to catch herself. But before she could've made her next move, she felt a powerful legsweep hit her right behind her ankles, which knocked her to the floor again. She quickly got to her feet again, and noticed her sister was ten feet away from her, firmly in a defensive position and an unyielding stare in her glowing red eyes. "Does that really mean nothing to you," Kahlua wailed, appalled by the sheer senselessness of the battle. Further frustrated by her sister's apparent lack of remorse, she rushed in and aimed a right cross at Moka's mouth, but found her attack caught by her sister's elongated fingers. The younger princess retaliated with her own knifehand, but that was also caught. The blonde woman struggled against her sister for several seconds, whom she found more unrecognizable as the fight progressed. It was then that felt herself being forced back, but then firmly planted her feet into her floor, which cracked under the pressure. She then augmented her strength with her aura, and managed to slightly push Moka back. Though she increased resistance she encountered told her that her sister had reciprocated her own actions, and the futility of the fight was beginning to overwhelm her. "_**ANSWER ME!**_" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly, the older vampire winced as she felt a powerful grip on the back of her neck. She felt herself pulled away slightly, and looked forth and saw Moka in a similar predicament, and just as surprised. Their heads were then forcefully smashed together, and Kahlua fell onto her knees and held her throbbing forehead.

"What's the matter with you," a coarse female voice demanded. "Can't you do one single task without fouling it up? Urgh, sometimes I wonder why the old man tolerates you."

The second-born of the Third Dark Lord seethed in response. She immediately shot to the feet, and was unsurprised to find her older sister between her and Moka. "Pfaria Shuzen, that was uncalled for!"

"So is playing with your dolls when you have a job to do."

Kahlua growled in aggravation, her patience wearing dangerously thin. "Did you see what she did in there," she demanded as she pointed to the still open door to Moka's room. "I spent the better part of a night getting it ready, and **that** is how she repays me!"

The eldest of the four sisters headed towards the aforementioned door, and poked her head inside. She looked from side to side for a few seconds, then looked back to the blonde woman. "And you're actually surprised? Heh, never guessed you could be so naive."

The regally-dressed daiyoukai looked to her in disbelief, as her mouth gaped open. "How can you say that? Look what she did to her room, not to mention her friends!"

"So, that's what happens to anyone who befriends a vampire."

"Enough!" Moka snapped, as she quickly moved in and got right in her sister's face. "I will not tolerate this blatant disregard for our kind any longer. After tonight, you will realize your own place."

"T'ch, and _you're_ gonna put me there," Pfaria asked with a dismissive sneer, as she looked down to the young woman who was seven inches shorter than her, "I don't think so. Now move it, you're violating my personal space."

"Stop it!" Kahlua spoke harshly, as she glared at her two siblings. "I'm sick of you two fighting one another! I don't want to hear another word about fighting for the rest of the day! Understand," she asked, a threatening tone to her usually soft voice. As much as she hated battle, the antics of her siblings had become all but intolerable. She had great difficulty recognizing either of them, which truly disturbed her.

"Or else what," the eldest sister asked, unfazed by the audible threat.

"Or else nothing!" the blonde woman snapped, disgusted with them as well as herself. "Now come, Lord Shuzen is waiting."

Moka kept her eyes on Pfaria as she turned towards her immediate sister. "About time," she remarked, as she folded her arms under her chest. She then grasped the doorknob with her slender hand, tapped the side of the door four times with her right foot, and then closed it shut. She then walked away from her older sister and towards the blonde woman down the hall, an unreadable look in her greenish red eyes.

Kahlua looked to her cautiously, but noted she was moving without coercion and led the way forward. She glanced over her shoulder towards her as she headed down the corridor. "_She led me away from the room,_" she thought to herself, "_was that her intent all along?_" She looked directly ahead, her heart greatly concerned about what was about to occur. "_Moka-chan, what are you planning?_"

* * *

The sound of the vampire sisters' footsteps echoed from the other side of the closed door, and slowly faded until they became inaudible. At that point, Kurumu quickly recovered and got to her feet. "Okay, that takes care of that," she exclaimed, satisfied with the results of their ruse. "Now we move on to the next part of our plan."

"You are so lucky she didn't examine us thoroughly," Mizore muttered as she rose from the floor. "If Moka hadn't cut her off, the jig would've been up."

"Hey, don't argue with success," the cyan-haired girl retorted defensively. "Didn't I say I'd need everyone's help with this?"

"Yeah, you did," the yuki onna replied in an offhand manner, "just don't let it go to your head."

The incognito succubus glared at her classmate, but said nothing, for she knew they had much greater concerns.

"Hey, at least it worked," Yukari interjected as she rose from the pile of dresses. "But next time, **I** get thrown into the bookcase! Moka-san won't mind if I borrow a few, will she?"

"We should be more worried about getting her outta here," the purple-haired girl replied. "Now I see what her family has planned for her."

"It's unfortunate," Michiru noted as she dusted herself off once rising from the floor, "but it seems undeniable. I just hope someone thinks up an escape plan before we really need it."

"Yeah," Kurumu interjected nervously, as she rubbed the back of her head, "I'm, still working on that."

"Better work fast," Mizore mentioned, "we're in the middle of the lion's den here."

"Before that, we need to help Ruby-san," the youngest of the group spoke up. "I'm still worried about her."

The cyan-haired girl nodded in response. "So am I, Yukari-chan. Okay," she continued as she rubbed her small hands together, "now that they're gone, let's help out our friend."

"Sure thing, desu!"

* * *

Tsukune lunged towards his fallen nemesis, all of his anger and hatred channeled into his fist. But as he unleashed the deathblow, the auburn-haired man rolled out of harm's way, and the enraged youth's fist drilled into the unforgiving cliff surface. After a few tense moments, the barren earth beneath began to splinter, and the rage-driven lad gasped in response, as he realized what was about to occur. He quickly hovered above the ground, as a whole section of the cliff where he desperately fought against the three warriors broke away and fell into the crimson sea, as a huge column of water rose up from where the large slab of earth submerged, only settle back into the ocean below.

Tsukune paused for a moment to regain his bearings. The battle was far more grueling than he'd imagined, and he was beginning to tire. Despite all of his unimaginable demonic power, his enemies refused to falter, which truly aggravated him. He looked hatefully in their direction, and saw that though they were all badly wounded, their fighting spirit had not waned, which infuriated him to no end. His inhuman rage boiled over, and his vile ebony and crimson aura blazed anew.

"You miserable worms!" he growled in demonic rage. "How dare you destroy all my friends, how **dare** you destroy Moka-san! I shall decimate your worthless lot and then devour your souls for what you've done!"

"Spare us the feigned indignation," Alucard replied flatly, despite his serious injuries. His left arm hung limply by his side, yet he still tightly grasped his sword. "You've never believed in friendship, only yourself and your precious power. Your time has long passed, now disappear, and trouble this world and my mother no more."

"**You're** the one who's going to disappear!" the enraged youth shot back. "I'm going to silence that presumptuous mouth of yours forever!" he declared, as he reared back and channeled his youki with both hands. A large sphere of pulsating negative energy appeared in the space between his hands.

A horrified look appeared on Julius' face, as he realized what would've occurred. "Oh shoot, spread out!" he shouted to his comrades as he dove for safety.

"Too late!" the former Tsukune Aono snarled. "_**DESTRUCTION RAY!**_" He launched a huge beam of seething dark energy at the dhampir, whose injuries inhibited his movements, and prevented him from using celerity. He screamed in agony as the powerful beam streaked across his back. Though it wasn't a direct hit, it was still strong enough to send him careening into the ground, where he lies in a broken heap.

"_**ALUCARD!**_" Marissa screamed in horror, as she ran towards him. Suddenly, another blast of energy shot towards her, which created a huge explosion that knocked her off her feet. She went flying back and felt herself land against a somewhat hard surface, but definitely not the ground. The blonde sorceress looked back, and found her looking into a bruised face.

"Hey, Marissa," an auburn-haired man remarked with a pained but mischievous grin, "you alright?"

The last descendant of the Belnades clan gasped lightly to herself, shocked that she'd landed on him but grateful regardless. Before she could've responded, she felt his arms wrapping around her midriff, which brought a light blush to her dusty cheeks. Were the situation different, she would've simply melted into his arms. "Julius," she spoke softly, unable to conceal her long-repressed feelings.

The nineteen-year-old man said nothing at first, as he laid with there with Marissa's weight atop him, her butt upon his pelvis. He knew he would've gotten lectured again if found in such a position, and that thought brought him back into the present, as his elation faded. "Shoot, what happened to Al," he asked, as he released his long-time friend.

The blonde sorceress gasped aloud, and quickly slid off Julius and got to her feet. Once she did, she saw the black-clad man still face down on the ground, with their enemy hovering high above him, as he fired two beams from his hands and traced an infinity symbol over a large section of the ground, with the dhampir right in the middle.

"**Al!**" the whip-wielding warrior cried out, as he and Marissa struggled to reach their fallen friend.

"He is no more," the inhuman being spoke coldly, as he raised his hands aloft. "_**INFINITE DESTRUCTION!**_" He thrust his arms down, and a huge explosion of negative energy erupted, which annihilated everything within a thirty foot radius. Pieces of rock went flying everywhere, while the debris that rose from the ground within the explosion was vaporized.

"_**AAAAALLLLLLLLL!**_" Julius screamed at the top of his lungs, thunderstruck that his seemingly invincible comrade had been defeated.

The sorceress looked on horror, shocked that their ally had fallen, for she realized he couldn't have survived such an explosion, especially not in his wounded condition. Her horror soon gave way to anger, which turned into righteous fury, as a blinding golden aura surrounded her. "You _**BASTARD!**_" she screamed at her nemesis. "How dare you slaughter your own flesh and blood! I will never forgive you, not even if you kneel down and grovel at my feet!"

"You dare claim to be superior to me!" the former Tsukune Aono snapped contemptuously. "Pathetic human, I am the King of this world! _**NO**_ power can ever surpass me!"

"You know in your heart that will never be true!" the blonde woman shot back, as she concentrated all of her remaining mana, which caused the very air to resonate with her power. "Prepare to be executed, like **all **tyrants before you! _**ELEMENTAL EXTERMINATION!**_" She raised her arms aloft, and a huge whirlwind spiraled around Tsukune, who used his remaining power in an attempt to resist being tossed about. Suddenly, the air inside the column became charged with lightning, which mercilessly assailed the former academy student. After that, huge icicles appeared outside the column, and rapidly shot forth in succession, skewering him from every conceivable direction. The ground underneath Tsukune shook, and a huge flaming geyser erupted from below, which both seared him and sent him hurtling into the air, where he saw an enormous boulder suspended above. The gigantic stone came crashing down on him, and sent him smashing into the ground, which shuddered for fifteen seconds after the collision. Once the ground stopped shaking, the boulder splintered, and then broke apart into thousand of rock fragments, which then collapsed onto the ground.

The Belnades descendant collapsed to her hands and knees, as her long blonde hair fell into her eyes, completely exhausted after her final desperate attack. As she strained to keep herself off the ground, she felt a gentle arm across her back, and a wounded hand over her own. "You did it, Marissa," a familiar voice spoke from close by. She turned her head to the left, and saw her comrade beside her, a weary but proud smile on his battered face. "You got him."

The blonde woman blushed brightly, as she felt her heart welling up in her chest. "Oh Julius!" she exclaimed, and then lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him, as the tears streamed from her eyes. "Julius," she spoke in a soft whisper.

The auburn-haired man almost lost his balance when his friend hugged him, but he managed to stay upright for her sake. "Marissa."

Suddenly, a baleful dark aura manifested close to them, coupled with a near limitless murderous intent. Both looked forth, and saw a black pillar of hate rising up from the debris, along with a pair of seething red eyes, which glowed with the fires of Hell itself.

"No way!" Julius exclaimed, as he managed to get to his feet.

In the blink of an eye, the pillar dispersed. And before either of them could've reacted, a dark figure rushed forward and drove its fist hard into the legendary hero's stomach. The auburn-haired man groaned in agony and disbelief, as the force of the blow lifted him off his feet and broke six of his ribs. He soon fell back onto his feet, as blood gushed from his mouth. He looked forward, and saw the sinister being he'd thought was defeated, a look of limitless contempt on his face. The demonic threat callously threw a left hook, which knocked the whip-wielding warrior ten feet off to the right. He landed hard on his side, a blank look on his face as blood dripped from his mouth.

"_**JULIUS!**_" the fallen sorceress screamed as he reached out towards him. Suddenly, the demonic being turned to her, reached down and grabbed her arms, and roughly pulled her to her feet, as he pinned her limbs to her side.

"You shall trouble me no longer," the man formerly known as Tsukune Aono spoke in a cold, menacing voice, as he reared back, opened his mouth wide, and drove his fangs into the magic-wielding woman's neck. The stricken woman screamed in agony as her blood was being mercilessly drained from her, which only served to elate her enemy, who bit down harder on her neck. He savored the taste of her blood as it passed down his throat, and believed it the same euphoria Moka felt each time she fed from him. The memory of her made him intensify the siphoning of his enemy's life-force, whose form grew sickly and skeletal from his attack.

Suddenly, an intense burning sensation came from his back, which made him scream in pain. He dropped Marissa's nigh lifeless form, which laid unmoving by his feet. Once the burning had subsided, he looked over his shoulder, and saw his enemy had not only regained his footing, but had gotten within striking distance as well.

"You are so gonna pay for this, old man," the auburn-haired warrior growled, a livid expression on his wounded face. "You've taken your last life."

The former academy student sneered in contempt at his enemy's accusations. "Pay," he remarked sarcastically, "you're the ones who killed Moka-san and all my friends, I'm simply returning the favor. How does it feel to lose something precious to you, Belmont? Go ahead, writhe in agony, curse your infernal human weakness, that is your reward for your evil deeds."

"Shut your hole, Dracula!" Julius shot back. "_You're_ the one who's always said good and evil were just words, so don't give me that crap!"

"Silence!" Tsukune declared, and thrust his right hand forward, which unleashed a powerful telekinetic force which sent his opponent flying back twenty feet. "How **dare** you address me by that name! I am superior to him in every way imaginable, he is _**NOTHING**_ before me!" He floated fifty feet into the air, and looked down at his fallen enemy. "And for putting me in the same category as that weakling, you have forfeited your right to live!"

The fallen hero looked up, and saw his enemy channeling all of immeasurable demonic power into a huge flaming sphere of dark energy, which hovered over his head. He knew what his enemy had planned, but his critically wounded body refused to heed his commands. "Come on," he growled through his pain, "move! _**MOVE!**_" He grimaced in agony, as he couldn't find the strength to rise again. "No, it can't... end like this!"

"Don't give up, Julius!" an echoing male voice spoke from nearby.

The auburn-haired warrior looked around, and saw a translucent figure kneeling by his side. It was that of a man with the same hair as him, along with a well-groomed beard and mustache. He wore a rough tan flannel shirt, along with heavy brown wool pants made for the harsh Romanian winters. A warm twinkle was evident in the figure's brown eyes.

"Dad," the teenager asked, and would've rubbed his eyes if he could've moved his arms.

"Yes, my son, do not despair, you can still win this."

"But how, Al and Marissa are gone, how can I do this alone?"

"Do not worry, you are not alone," the spirit replied confidently, as he gestured to his right.

Julius looked forth, and saw no less than five ghostly figures standing over him. One looked like an older version of himself, only with a fierce-looking visage and a long scar over his left eye. The second one had long light brown hair, and wore a long brown leather tunic, which was frequently described in legends. The third had shoulder-length blonde hair, and wore red and gold armor, along with a tight black bodysuit underneath. Next to him was a very pale man with long silver hair, clad in a long crimson coat, which made many mistake him for a vampire. The last figure had short brown hair, with a white headband wrapped around his brow. He wore a light blue tunic, which ran down to his knees, and had an incorruptible expression on his face.

"It is time to end this, my descendant," the first spirit spoke with an intense look.

"Trevor," Julius poke in awe, as he recognized him from Alucard's stories.

"Let us fight together as one," the second ghost added, his voice full of courage.

"Christopher," the auburn-haired man remarked.

"And push back the Lord of Darkness with the light in our hearts," the third apparition interjected.

"Simon," Julius spoke in awe, as he recognized the arguably greatest of the Belmonts.

"With our combined might," the fourth spirit proclaimed, "we shall show Dracula his place!"

"Juste," the teenager remarked with a light yet pained chuckle, as he never knew his ancestor was as cocky as him.

"Evil cannot triumph as long as we of the light fight on!" the last of the five ghosts declared. "Come, my brethren, let us empower our descendant, our hope, and banish Dracula back to the darkness from whence he came!"

"Richter."

The five Belmont spirits, along with that Julius' father, knelt down and placed their hands on the fallen hero. The auburn-haired man groaned as he felt a tremendous amount of holy energy being channeled into him, which created a huge ivory aura around him. The spirits themselves became pure light, which infused the almost lifeless holy warrior with their essence.

High up in the air, Tsukune had gathered enough energy to finish off the prone adversary. But before he could've unleashed his final attack, he sensed an incredible amount of holy energy from below, which made him grimace in disgust. He looked to the ground, and bared his fangs in anger as he saw the seemingly defeated Belmont warrior rising to his feet, bathed in a blinding holy aura. "You insolent worm!" the brown-haired daiyoukai snarled in hate. "You dare challenge me again?"

"Correction, old man!" Julius proudly shot back. "**We're** gonna challenge you, and we're gonna finish you this round!"

"_**FOOL!**_" the inhuman being screamed, as dark lightning crashed down from the sullen skies. "I am the King of this world, the King of **all** worlds! I can _**NEVER**_ be defeated!"

The auburn-haired man bent at the knees, as he concentrated his newly acquired strength. Waves of holy energy passed over the ground, which actually shuddered from the pristine manifestation. "Says _**YOU!**_" he shouted, as he leaped into the air, propelled by his aura like a missile, headed straight for his airborne opponent.

The former Tsukune Aono witnessed him approaching, as a growing twinge of fear manifested in his heart. "_**YOU FOOL!**_" he screamed, as he reared back and floated thirty feet higher. "_**GIGA DEMONIC MEGIDDO!**_" he shouted, and hurled the enormous sphere of dark energy towards his enemy.

Julius confidently streaked upwards, and saw the titanic orb of destruction headed his way. He knew if he hesitated, or flinched, he could've easily been killed, and would've betrayed his ancestors' belief in him. Instead, he pushed onwards and thrust both fists outwards. In less than three seconds, " he collided with the oncoming sphere, which seethed against the holy aura that surrounded him. He kept pushing forward, as the oppressive burning darkness wreaked havoc on his entire being, and threatened to crush his very soul. Ignoring the obvious pain, which dwarfed what he'd already experienced, he kept flying upwards, even though his aura was waning. Finally, just when his aura was about to be extinguished, he burst through the other side of the sphere and streaked forward.

Tsukune looked down in shock and fear at the oncoming hero. "_**WHAT!**_" he exclaimed, thunderstruck that his enemy had punched right through his massive orb of destruction.

A split second later, Julius was right before his opponent, as his aura flared anew. He unleashed his family whip, and unleashed a rapid series of strikes, far too fast for the bewildered vampire to have countered. After unleashing ninety-nine whip attacks, the auburn-haired man channeled the rest of his aura into his left fist and reared back with all his strength. "In the name of my ancestors, you're going down! Die, Count Dracula!" With a rising growl, he put all of his personal and acquired strength into his final attack. "_**KNOW YOUR PLACE!**_" he shouted, as his fist connected with his archenemy's face, which resulted in a titanic explosion of holy energy which sent both opponents flying back.

Tsukune helplessly sailed back, shocked that he'd been defeated by a mere human. "Impossible," he uttered with a glazed look, as his eyes slowly closed.

On the other side of the explosion, Julius was also hurled through the air, just as helpless but with a content smile on his face. "Gotcha."

Down on the ground, the gaunt form of Marissa Belnades looked up from her vantage point, and saw the huge explosion above. A tear came to her eye, as she realized her close friend had finally triumphed. "Julius," she spoke weakly, as she closed her eyes for the last time, a smile on her withered face.

The orb of destruction continued down, and collided with the ground below. The result was a titanic explosion of unholy energy which completely demolished the cliff, along with the ridge nearby. The debris that wasn't vaporized fell into the sullen sea below; which included the remains of the destroyed buses, as well as the bodies of the fallen. Any trees in the area were either uprooted and scattered to the winds or instantly decimated. The explosion reached all the way to the dimensional tunnel, as it collapsed from the incomprehensible eruption of satanic power.

* * *

The body of Tsukune Aono became still, as a trickle of blood left the corner of his mouth. The demoness who'd created his nightmare collapsed to her knees, exhausted from her labor. Near the altar, Colton and his associates looked on with blank expressions, and said nothing for several seconds, stunned into silence over what they'd seen in their captive's mind.

"What the hell was that!" the younger masked woman spoke up irritably, thus breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You've been watching too much anime! And put some some clothes, you shameless hussy! Geez, where does Lord Dracula find you idiots?"

The indigo-haired creature pushed herself to her feet, and looked to her accuser. "Shame," she asked curiously, "why would I concern myself with that? You do realize I am a succubus, do you not?"

"Yeah well, keep it to yourself! No one needs to know. And you're not even that good-looking, either!"

"Such an objective evaluation," the dream demoness remarked with a wry smirk as she folded her arms under her chest.

"Forgive her, Lilith," the older masked woman interjected, "she's.. still young. She will learn to fully appreciate our world in time. Though I personally thank you for keeping our guest... entertained."

"Certainly, my Lady," the succubus replied with a reverent bow.

"And where'd you think up those three posers!" the irreverent woman continued. "I could beat those idiots with both hands tied behind my back, especially that stupid one with the whip! _He's_ supposed to be a legendary Belmont? Ha! He'd better pray I never find him, because once I do I'll beat him into blood pudding and then eat him!"

Suddenly, everyone in the room broke into a fit of uproarious laughter, incredibly amused by her declaration.

"Hey! Don't you laugh at me!" the masked woman protested, as she raised her fists into the air. "I am a royal vampire, a goddess of the demon world! No other life-form can hold a candle to me! I'll prove it by pounding those three idiots! They don't look so tough, they're only humans."

The laughter continued for several seconds, until it slowly died down. Though none could've seen her expression behind her mask, the seething murderous intent that emanated from her couldn't have been missed.

"So," her companion casually remarked, "you believe you can defeat the Three Millennium Heroes, do you?"

"Yeah! I can wipe the walls with those losers!"

"Even after what you just witnessed?"

"Ha! She was just trying to make them look good!" the younger woman exclaimed, as she pointed to the indigo-haired demoness.

Lilith chose not to respond, and merely shook her head. "With all due respect," she began seriously as she turned to Colton, "how long do you plan to keep him sedated? Even my power cannot restrain him indefinitely."

"It shan't be for much longer," the bald man replied. "These, exercises shall ultimately prove most valuable. Very much so," he concluded, as a low chuckle escaped him. The corners of mouth stretched into a devious smile as he regarded the image of Marissa Belnades from the nightmare.

* * *

Thousands of miles from the hiding place of Dracula's followers, a resting woman slowly opened her blue eyes, a tired expression on her face. She looked out to her window, as the mid-afternoon light streamed into her room. She then looked over to her nightstand, and took hold of the photo upon it. She looked sadly at it, as she saw herself from ten years past, along with her two comrades, who both disappeared after the last battle. "Julius, Alucard," she spoke in a soft mournful voice, "why did you leave me?"

At that moment, a knock came at the door.

"Enter," she spoke aloud without turning her head.

The door opened, and a man in his late-twenties with dark hair parted to both sides came into the room, a tray with various food upon it. "Belnades-sama," he began reverently, "your lunch is ready."

"That's fine, Fujiwara," she spoke absently, "just leave it on the table."

A disappointed sigh came from the manservant, as he noticed she hadn't looked in his direction, her eyes locked on the photo in her hand.

"Was there something else," the last of the Three Millennium Heroes asked.

The well-dressed man froze, still unable to speak the words in his heart. Though he grateful to have assisted the legendary sorceress, especially at that moment when she was recuperating from her last mission, it frustrated him that she barely took notice of him. "No, Belnades-sama," he finally spoke.

The blonde woman nodded to herself. "You may leave, then."

The manservant left her meal on the table, bowed his head, and made his way out of the room.

On the other side of the door, Fujiwara Naozumi groaned to himself, frustrated at his inability to have spoken his true feelings. "_Marissa,_" he thought to himself, "_why do you keep torturing yourself? No matter how hard you pray, Julius Belmont will not come back. But I am here, I can give you the companionship you need. Why, why keep holding on to an impossible dream?_"

"Are you alright, Fujiwara-san," an aged female voice spoke up.

The average-looking man gasped, broken out of his introspection. He looked to his left and saw an elderly woman nearby, dressed in a soft orange dress, with a bright violet shawl around her somewhat stooped shoulders. Her heavily wrinkled features indicated she was from outside Japan, and her rapidly graying hair of brown was done up in a bun behind her head. She held a cane in her gnarled hand to support herself.

"Ah, Morris-san," the attendant replied reverently, as he bowed his head.

"Now now, you don't need to bow to me, I'm just an elderly woman come to visit my dear little Marissa."

The manservant knew it wasn't entirely true, but he also knew she maintained her ruse in order to have avoided suspicion, which she'd done for many years.

"Still thinking about Julius, is she," the seasoned citizen inquired.

Fujiwara could've only mutely nodded.

"Ah, I'm not surprised, she has been very lonely since then, hasn't she?"

The manservant said nothing in response, too afraid to confirm it lest he draw further scrutiny from the retired Church member. "Excuse me," he finally said, and headed down the hall.

The elderly woman let him pass, and watched him as he headed down the hall. "If you have something to say to Marissa," she spoke up, which immediately got his attention, "go right ahead. Don't make the same mistake she did, that's one reason she's become like this."

Fujiwara watched as Marissa's adoptive grandmother made her way to the master bedroom. He turned away and headed down the hall, as he considered the words of his mistress' former caretaker

* * *

Within the audience chamber of his grand castle, Shuzen looked on impassively towards the double doors at the far end of the room, though his eyes were elsewhere. He looked within the room he and Kahlua had prepared for Moka, and was quite displeased with what he saw. Though his second-born daughter seemed unaware of their ruse, he had seen everything that occurred since he dismissed his children earlier. He watched as the dark-haired woman in the bathroom, the only one injured of the lot, was carried and placed in Moka's bed, which truly annoyed him. His irritation only grew as he saw the cyan-haired girl used her claws to carve a splint out of the bookcase she'd broken earlier, and used it to brace the witch's injured arm. He became quite aggravated as he saw them tear Moka's bedsheets into strips, and used them to bind the injured woman's wrist, as well as protective wrapping for her ribs. It truly infuriated him that such inferior beings believed that they could've deceived the master of the castle. It troubled him somewhat that they had an inkling about his plans for Moka, but he didn't plan to let it hinder him. The fact that his daughter was involved with such lowly creatures was simply inexcusable. Clearly they were a bad influence on his precious child, and he planned to rectify that oversight in due time.

At that moment, the doors swung open, and his daughters made their way into the room. He looked on, and noted Kahlua led the procession, which went against protocol. He saw his second-born child had a very wary look as she glanced back at the girl behind her. He also noted she was hesitant to look directly at him, despite the fact she was in front. That alone made it evident to him that his daughter was hiding something, other than the bruises from her brief altercation with Moka. His children's constant battling was starting to become a nuisance, as well as threaten to the stability of the family unit for the second time in nearly ten years. He planned to put an end to the strife that night, and then move on to more pressing matters.

Pfaria's displeasure was clearly evident, but Shuzen still found himself unable to peer into her thoughts, even though she looked directly at him. It was more than the sunglasses she wore, he felt some force was inhibiting his scrying attempts, which he found truly disturbing. It displeased him even more that she wasn't leading the sisters, which was her duty as the oldest. However, he couldn't have risked making his displeasure known, as that was also against proper etiquette. He had to maintain an air of regal impassiveness and invulnerability, though it didn't mean he had no emotions, which was a popular misconception. It further discouraged him that his oldest child still failed to understand that, and wondered how she could've been so disrespectful after all he'd done for her. It annoyed him even more that unlike her younger sister, she hadn't changed into more regal attire, which was more appropriate for her station. Indeed, she wore the exact same outfit from two days past, which demonstrated her nigh complete disregard for her standing as his oldest and most revered daughter.

He then looked to Moka, who was in the middle of the three. Despite her somewhat unbecoming academy attire, she walked towards him like a queen, her shoulders set back and her chest thrust out proudly, her eyes locked firmly upon him as her long silver hair, sparsely intermixed with a few pink locks, flowed gracefully behind her. Whatever injuries she might've sustained during her fight in the hallway, as well as whatever occurred in her room while he was busy chastising her sisters, did nothing to hinder her. It was a virtually perfect representation of his daughter, but deep down he knew it was merely a facade, which was the most painful part. The darkened Rosario upon her chest clearly displayed her ruse. And even with the diminishing distance between them, he could sense _his_ taint within her, and wondered if her older sisters had noticed it as well. Kahlua's nervousness indicated she might've been aware, while Pfaria was as unreadable as ever. However, he knew he couldn't have relied on either of them to deal with their younger sister, so the task was left to him to be Moka's protector, regardless of what threatened her.

Finally, after several long moments, the three sisters stopped in front of the dais upon which rested Shuzen's throne. Kahlua reverently dropped to one knee, and grandly spread her arms out to the side in supplication, as her golden bangs fell into her eyes. Pfaria refused to kneel, and merely glared at the castle lord, her right hand upon her respective hip. Moka looked directly at her father, her eyes unwavering and even a small hint of accusation in them. He glanced over to Kahlua, and noticed her eyes were downcast, as well as a great sense of tension about her. That made him wonder if she'd inadvertently leaked his plans for her, he certainly hadn't expected her to have deduced them on her own. A slight scowl crossed his features, as it seemed his daughter had failed him yet again, which was unacceptable for a royal vampire.

The Third Dark Lord slowly pushed himself up from his throne and straightened himself, standing several inches above the youngest in the room, not counting the dais he stood upon. "Approach me, my daughter," he spoke in a dour, authoritative voice, as he opened his cape and gestured to each side with his arms.

Moka ascended the stairs of the dais and stood before her father. Without another word, she moved and slipped her arms around him. Shuzen would've reciprocated, but was taken aback by the strength of his daughter's embrace, which reminded him of Pfaria and Ivana's bearhug contests. His eyes widened slightly, as he strove to fight back a groan. His arms shot out instinctively, bent at a slight angle. His fingers flexed out, and he strove to keep them from shaking.

"Moka-chan," Kahlua called out in protest, "you're crushing him!"

The younger vampire quickly relaxed her embrace, and looked back to the blonde woman behind her. "Come now, Neesan," she began with a wry smirk, "have you that little faith in our father? After all, he is the Third Dark Lord, and the most powerful member of the Elder Council. He is not nearly so fragile," she went on, as she turned her gaze back to her sire, a somewhat foreboding grin on her pale face, "are you, Chichi-ue?" She stood up one her tiptoes, closed her eyes and placed a light kiss on her father's left cheek. After about two seconds, she removed her lips and settled herself back firmly on her feet, the same grin on her face.

The ancient lord gave his daughter a rather dubious look, as he lightly rubbed his cheek. Despite that, it had been the first time in almost ten years he'd been kissed by anyone, in any fashion. Inwardly, he was actually touched by his child's open display of affection. It might've been somewhat inappropriate, definitely unexpected, and though he was certain she meant well, it also brought back the memory of the disaster on her seventh birthday, which he'd never truly overcome.

"That was, very considerate of you," he finally spoke, "but you should've chosen your words better."

"Hmm," the silver and pink-haired woman asked with a raised eyebrow and a light tilt of her head.

"You used the f-word, Moka-chan," Kahlua explained from behind her, "you know how much Chichi-ue hates it."

The younger princess laughed lightly in self-deprecation, and held the side of her head. "Oh dear, silly me. Sorry, Chichi-ue." She smiled in embarrassment, as she began to back down the dais.

"Wait," Shuzen spoke up, and raised his right hand for emphasis.

Moka immediately stopped in her tracks.

"Remain here," her sire continued, as he motioned to her former position, "this matter concerns you more than anyone."

The female student reverently bowed her head. "Yes, Chichi-ue." She headed back up the steps, and returned to her precious position. Once she did, she watched her father sat back down upon his ruined throne.

"I received, disturbing reports from the academy," the elder vampire began, as he absently played with one of his silver curls. "There were supposedly a series of necromantic episodes, coupled with a series of riots of varying degrees over the previous three days." He released his curl and slowly lowered his hand onto the side of his throne. "One of which all but demolished the school cafeteria."

He watched as Moka exhaled slowly, and solemnly closed her eyes. Her silence and posture told him she was guilty as charged, which brought a nigh discernible scowl to his ageless features. "Said incident led to three deaths, several others critically injured, including a faculty member," he added with particular contempt, "as well as your expulsion." The Third Dark Lord rose from his throne, and his piercing gaze spoke volumes of his displeasure with his daughter's conduct. "You were supposed to have been brought here two days ago, yet neither you nor Mikogami's associates arrived. Care to explain why?"

The teenager before him sighed mournfully, and looked off to the side. "The Chairman, damaged the seal," she began mournfully, as her slender fingers wrapped around her Rosario.

"What," Shuzen asked, quite startled by the revelation. He heard Kahlua gasp from behind his daughter, while Pfaria didn't react.

"I thought he did it on purpose," Moka explained, clearly still shaken from the incident. "And this was after he decided to let Colton remain on campus, I really thought he betrayed me!" she almost wailed as she looked back at him, an inappropriate amount of grief on her pale features. "I had to get away from there, before something even worse happened to the seal."

A low hiss came from the vampire lord, quite vexed over his daughter's testimony. "That misguided idealistic fool dare desecrate _my_ handiwork," he demanded, a noticeable trace of heat in his voice. "Where was Aono during this travesty?"

The vampiric princess cringed in response, which upset her father more than he appeared. "He was, in a trance. I tried calling out to him, but he didn't respond." The pain on her face was clearly evident, as well as unacceptable to the master of the castle. "And when the seal was damaged, I passed out. Once I awakened again, I was all alone. I was afraid he was helping Colton, so I fled as fast as I could."

Shuzen became increasingly more displeased as his daughter spoke, and he found it more difficult to keep it from being known. He suspected she was not being wholly candid, though what he learned upset him enough. He found her conduct in the face of danger inexcusable, for a true vampire would've never shown weakness in any circumstances. Were it him he would've torn Mikogami asunder for his blatant incompetence. Moreover he became even more disappointed with Akasha, for he saw raising her daughter in human ways had been nothing but detrimental, and left her ill-equipped for the dangers within the school, as well as the threat of _him._ Neither she, Mikogami, or Aono were capable of protecting Moka, so it made his judgment all the more sound.

"T'ch, what a joke," Pfaria remarked with a dismissive sneer, "should've clobbered the old coot when I had the chance, least I would've gotten some satisfaction."

"Hold on," Kahlua spoke up firmly, "hold on, let's not get ahead of ourselves." She glared at her older sister for a second, then turned to the young woman on the dais. "Moka-chan, please go back to the beginning. How did that fight actually get started?"

"That is unimportant!" the castellan snapped at his daughter. "This disaster has brought nothing but more shame and disgrace to my revered House! And once news of Mikogami's death reaches the Council they'll doubtlessly come inquiring about the incident. Be grateful they're not already here," he spoke menacingly to the sophomore before him, as he narrowed his crimson irises into deadly slits.

"Wh-wh-what," the blonde woman asked, clearly thunderstruck by the news. "Mikogami, dead? Th-that's impossible, he's a Dark Lord, he can't die!"

Moka knit her thin eyebrows together, and a scowl appeared on her face. "So you knew," she spoke accusingly to her father.

"Did you really think you could hide this from me," the master vampire darkly retorted. "I saw everything that happened at school that day. I saw those brainless effusive inferior beings pretending to be academy students destroying their own institution for no reason whatsoever, those useless enforcers exacerbating the situation, and Mikogami nowhere to be found. I saw _you,_" he spoke harshly, as he pointed an accusing finger at her, "strung along like a puppet by that... insipid usurper, and that bungling incompetent Aono powerless to stop him, making a mockery of myself _and_ my daughter! And if that wasn't humiliating enough, your pathetic incompetence resulted in my daughter being defiled yet again after that disgusting hybrid abomination was destroyed! And then you allowed those, irritating lesser beings who are unworthy to be my daughter's friends, question the integrity and majesty of the Elder Council of Vampires! How _**DARE**_ they!" he shouted angrily, consumed in his indignation over the events of the previous day. "Those simpering reprobates are not worthy to know of the Council's existence! We are far beyond their feeble comprehension, it is blasphemous that they foolishly believe themselves worthy of questioning us! That arrogance will be the death of them, along with anyone stupid enough to be associated with them!"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the silver and pink-haired young woman impudently screamed. "Don't you dare threaten my friends," she spoke out of turn, and rudely pointed her finger at her noble sire, "and especially not Tsukune! I didn't come here to listen to you pick up where you left off last night."

"My Lord," Kahlua asked, clearly confused by what she'd just heard.

Shuzen ignored his second-born daughter, and glared at the individual before him, as he menacingly flicked out his youki, livid at her audacity. "You dare talk back to _me,_" he spoke in a near growl, greatly insulted by her inappropriate behavior. "You don't know who you're dealing with, you impudent waif! I made you, I can **unmake** you!"

"Is that why you summoned me," the child before him asked, though she was clearly out of line. "Hmph, I had hoped you had the means to restore my Rosario, but it seems you have, your own plans."

"I don't know what you mean," the lord of the castle replied, quite insulted by her clearly false accusation. "What right have you to question me, you should be grateful that I've gone to such lengths to protect you."

"I never asked you to protect me, I actually hoped you'd support me as my friends and I go after Colton."

"You will do no such thing!" the patriarch vampire snapped heatedly. "You will stay here where no one is going to dare threaten you! This matter is far too dangerous for you to handle, courage and valor are not part of your design!"

"What's that supposed to mean," the academy sophomore inquired, though she wasn't entitled to it.

"Just as I said! I created you in order to protect my daughter while she hid amongst the filthy humans, but clearly you have failed in your endeavor. And now you actually believe you have the right to pursue those insignificant misguided opposers who dare threaten the order I bring to the world? You have overstepped your bounds, construct, clearly all that time around Akasha has corrupted you."

The female youkai before him lashed out and inappropriately slapped him across the face, which truly annoyed him. "Don't you even think of blaming Haha-ue for this," she spoke in a clearly feeble attempt to frighten the Third Dark Lord. "Nine years she's suffered because of what you did, I've heard her crying alone in her room night on many nights, she's never gotten over how you betrayed her."

"Betrayed her," Shuzen demanded angrily. "She's the one who betrayed **me!** If she hadn't tried to surpass her station and preach sedition amongst our subjects none of that would've happened! I warned not to move outside the boundaries the Council laid down and _still_ she defied me! And thus she incurred the wrath of the Council! She brought this all upon us, upon my daughter, upon **me!**"

A light growl came from the impudent young woman, as a rude sneer crossed her impudent features, and as she placed both hands on her hips. "I honestly don't see why she thinks so highly of you," she remarked, wholly unable to understand the basic truth. "You go on and on about how much you love me, how much you want to protect me, yet the one person you seem to talk about with any sense of respect is yourself."

The ancient vampire growled to himself, reminded of many of the arguments he had with Akasha. It still disturbed him that neither of them could've seen the wisdom of his perfect ways. He looked to his other children, and noticed a wry smirk on Pfaria's face, which exposed one of her fangs. He immediately bristled, as he knew in his heart she was laughing at him again. He became even more incensed as he realized she too had failed to understand his divine wisdom.

"You summon me here," the younger demoness rudely went on, "make me listen to your long-winded speeches about how great you supposedly are, insult all my friends as well as my mother, and then you have the audacity to expect me to just meekly accept your judgment?" She exhaled through her clenched teeth, which blew her bangs forward. "I know Haha-ue believes in me, and has approved this path I'm taking, clearly you and Neesan don't. You just want me to stay in my room like a good little girl and hope Dracula just _goes away,_" she concluded, an infuriating sense of sarcasm at the end.

"Silence!" Shuzen shouted, and then lashed his right hand out to the side. His crimson irises flashed, which released a powerful blast of telekinetic force that sent his disrespectful daughter sailing from the dais and halfway down the hall. "How _dare_ you talk back to me, you wretched child! And how _**DARE**_ you speak that name! Were you not protecting my daughter, even though you've done a pathetic job of it, I would've decimated you on the spot for your treasonous tongue!"

He watched with a disgusted annoyance as the fallen girl raised herself off the floor, an air of inexcusable defiance about her. "And this is how you protect people," she asked from her vantage point. "You make me sick, if you did this in the human world you'd be arrested for child abuse."

"_**SILENCE!**_" the master vampire roared, and threw his cape to the side, which unleashed a huge explosion of dark energy that majestically shook the entire chamber, an undeniable demonstration of his sovereign power, which the impudent girl learned firsthand. "How _**DARE**_ you judge _**ME**_ by human standards!" he shouted, insulted as he'd never been before in his entire life. "_**I**_ am as far above humans as they are above earthworms! _**I**_ and _**I**_ alone have protected the world from destruction for the past six hundred years, as my father did before me! _**I**_ am the only one with the power and the wisdom and the courage to save it from that foul usurper who dares challenge _**MY**_ perfect order! And there's nothing that you, Aono, Mikogami, Akasha, or those simpering pests pretending to be your friends hiding outside my door can do to stop me!"

* * *

On the other side of the double doors, Kurumu froze in place at what she'd just heard. "How the hecht did he know we were here," she asked in disbelief.

"He's only a master vampire, remember," Mizore offered in response. "It's not like we're back at the academy, you know."

The cyan-haired girl groaned in response, tempted to verbally lash out at the yuki onna but knew it would've been futile at that juncture. "You're not helping," she spoke in chagrin.

Michiru merely stood in place, frozen in fear by the amount of power she'd just felt. "My goodness, please tell me he didn't just kill Moka-san."

Yukari gasped in shock, horrified by the actual thought. "No, she can't die!" she spoke fearfully, as she looked helplessly at the double doors. "Moka-san."

* * *

Kahlua looked to her father, startled at what she'd just heard. "What? Th-th-that's impossible! They were unconscious last I checked!"

"Idiot!" Shuzen shot back, and flared out his aura which promptly silenced and humbled his inattentive daughter. "That was just a ruse! Those fools are trying to undermine my plans, go and guard the entrance!" he commanded, as he pointed towards the double doors. "If any of them invade my sanctum, kill them!"

The blonde woman quickly straightened herself. "Yes, my Lord," she spoke with a reverent bow of her head, and then headed down the hall.

Pleased that all was well in hand, the Third Dark Lord turned from the fallen girl's body and headed back towards his throne. Admittedly, he'd used more power than he actually intended, but the thought of being judged by inferior and meaningless human standards infuriated him more than anything else in his life. Clearly her time around humans had corrupted her and undermined her original purpose. Again, mankind had defied their benevolent overseer and spat upon the blessings he rained down upon them. It never ceased to enrage him that they continued to seek out his father's murderer rather than him, the one true King of all the world. But once all his plans were complete, there would've been no doubt who held sway over the earth. And with Mikogami out of the way, he could've picked up where he left off three hundred years before.

"So tell me," the girl's voice spoke feebly from behind, "when are you going to tell Haha-ue of this?"

Shuzen stopped in place, annoyed that his creation had the audacity to address him even after she experienced his majestic and completely superior power. "She does not deserve to know," he remarked with an unquestionable air of absolute finality. "She should've been grateful that I was generous enough to place _my _daughter in her care. But even she has failed me, along with Aono and Mikogami. I shall not allow those buffoons to endanger my daughter any longer." He spun around majestically towards the fallen girl, as his cape swirled elegantly around his regal form. "In the end, _**I**_ am the only one I can rely upon!" he proclaimed dramatically. "_**I**_ am the only one who can protect Moka from this merciless ungrateful world! _**I **_am the only one who loves her! _**I **_am the only one my daughter truly needs!"

"Chichi-ue," Kahlua protested in a hurt voice.

Shuzen ignored the appalled look on his child's face, as she clearly deserved it for her continuous bungling, especially over the simple task he'd assigned her which took her two days to complete. Even though he'd already disciplined her for her inexcusable incompetence, it continued to annoy him, even at that moment. It was then that he noticed the false representation of his daughter rising from the floor. He saw black burns on her legs and face, and that her school attire was badly singed. He found it laughable that she actually believed she could've withstood his unparalleled and wholly justified attack with her flimsy raiment, when his power could've easily rent magically imbued plate mail asunder. Even the armaments of the current age were as nothing before his infinite might. But the fact that she actually managed to rise again, when she should've merely remained there and avoided any further humiliation, both impressed and annoyed him further. His agitation only increased when she saw the defiant look on the girl's blackened face. "Colton was right, you really don't know your limitations," she spoke accusingly, which demonstrated her limited understanding.

"Moka-chan," the blonde princess spoke sadly, though she failed to realize her sister didn't deserve her sympathy.

"Ha! I **have** no limitations!" the master vampire retorted truthfully. "I am the pinnacle of life on this world, flawless in every single way! I have existed for countless eons, and I shall exist for countless more, long after this world and those false friends of yours are dead and deservedly forgotten!"

"They are _not_ false friends!" the impostor impudently retorted through her agony. "We've been through so much together for the past two years, and I plan to spend many more with them."

"Your plans are irrelevant, you should be more concerned about _their_ despicable, underhanded plans!" he wisely pointed out. "The only reason they associate with you is out of envy, they know they can never hope to reach the apex that we vampires, the supreme life-forms on this ungrateful world, so they feign friendship in order to undermine and eventually try to destroy us! Those pretenders falsely claim to support you when in fact they seek only your death, especially that filthy, disgusting, execrable succubus!"

"You lie!" the wounded girl retorted.

"Silence! You know nothing about their worthless kind! She has already been touched by that traitor Aono, and will eventually betray you to him! She desires only to bear his misbegotten spawn into the world, the same as her treacherous ruler Lilith when she betrayed my father, betrayed _**ME! **_And cast her worthless lot with that, that unspeakable abomination! All succubi are the same, unscrupulous mendacious whores who have no sense of honor or gratitude! They betrayed my father, they will betray you as well! History will repeat itself because of your pathetic incompetence, you should be grateful that I'll put a stop to it, by decimating her and every last miserable succubus on this pathetic world!"

* * *

Kurumu was frozen in place, and forgot how to breathe for a few moments, as her heart felt like it had been crushed by a three-handed warhammer, and left to ooze blood beneath the merciless gavel of judgment. "No," she spoke weakly, horrified that the vampire lord had shamelessly revealed her race's dark secret, "I shouldn't have come here." She rested her forehead against the cold unfeeling double doors, as tears streamed down her soft cheeks. "Lilith-sama, forgive me."

It was then that she felt a chilling murderous intent nearby, along with a light yet menacing poke on the side of her neck. "Is this true," an icy voice inquired.

The cyan-haired girl turned and looked into the pale face of death, with glowing icy blue eyes that bore into her shattered soul. "Mizore-chan, what are you doing," she asked, her voice breaking with both fear and sadness, "I don't want to betray anyone, especially not Moka."

"Why not, then you'd have your Mate of Fate, like you've always wanted."

"Wait, Mizore-chan," the youngest of the group interrupted, "don't listen to that mean old man, he's trying to turn us against each other, desu!"

The voluptuous teenager looked to her classmate, grateful that she'd spoken in her defense. "Yuakri-chan," she spoke softly, as the tears streamed from her face. She immediately pulled the shorter girl into her embrace, as she desperately tried to stop shaking.

"Kurumu-san," the child prodigy uttered in a stricken voice, "you're crushing me."

"Sorry." The cyan-haired girl eased her embrace, embarrassed that she'd forgotten her own formidable strength. She warily turned to the yuki onna, whose face was as unreadable as ever. The pale girl looked away for a moment, and closed her icy blue eyes.

"This is not over," she remarked calmly, but it was impossible to have missed the veiled threat in her voice, "I'll be watching you, Kurumu."

The incognito succubus groaned in response, as she looked back towards the throne room doors.

* * *

"How dare you!" the vampiric simulation shouted in feeble and misguided protest. "That's genocide!"

"No," her infinitely more knowledgeable sire replied sagely, "it is justice. This is my sovereign decree upon that disgusting inferior race, you shall reverently abide by it along with every other decree I make as lord of this castle and everything else I survey."

"No! I won't let you do that!"

Shuzen wisely responded by manifesting his full power, which caused the entire room to shake, as well as the hallway outside. He could feel the entire castle trembling before his sovereign might, which pleased him greatly. His youki forced his older daughters to back away in fear, and brought the ignorant silver-haired construct to its knees. "You will do nothing except adhere to the parameters I design for your life," the vampire lord proclaimed as he began to walk towards his stricken child. "You shall remain here and I shall correct the imperfections that have afflicted your design. I shall erase your memories and make you anew, only this time you shall not consort with any other lesser beings, and shall adhere absolutely to every single aspect of the vampire creed. You shall come to grant me the honor and respect I so rightfully deserve as your lord and master, and shall live peacefully for the rest of your days under my divine supervision!" He stopped just before the fallen girl, who was still being crushed under his indomitable youki. "And I do all this," he announced with all his heart as he spread his arms out wide, "because I love you!"

Suddenly, the vile aura of his hated nemesis arose within the stricken girl, which made him gasp in shock, as the memories of the ancient past came to the forefront of his mind. As his concentration lapsed, the formerly subjugated girl quickly rose to her feet, bathed in a horrific ebony and crimson aura, and unleashed a vicious kick right in the vampire lord's nether regions. The shocked ruler was lifted five feet into the air, as he screamed in rarely experienced and clearly undeserved agony. He managed to land on his feet, though his legs felt like rubber, and he hobbled about in abject humiliation, covering the area where he was struck with his trembling hands, his pride greatly wounded by the creation's cowardly sneak attack.

"How dare you," he spoke through his pain, mortified that the false persona had ungratefully attacked him.

He was abruptly brought back into the present as he was pulled forward by his tie. He looked forth and saw his daughter before him, her red eyes glowing in hatred and her deadly fangs bared as she breathed in demonic fury. "You insult all my friends," she began in an icy voice of condemnation, "insult my precious Tsukune, insult myself, and even Haha-ue. And then you have the audacity to claim you do this out of love? Don't you dare _**PATRONIZE ME!**_" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Ura-chan spoke so highly of you, if only she could be here now and witness what a **fraud** you are!"

"Let him go, Moka!" Kahlua demanded from her vantage point, though her words clearly went unheeded.

"You wretched child," the Third Dark Lord growled, his fangs bared in hatred, "what do you think you're doing!"

"I'm giving you what you wanted," the unrepentant construct defiantly replied. "I'm giving you the honor and respect," she went on, released his tie and began spinning on the toes of her left foot, "you so _**RIGHTFULLY DESERVE!**_" she shouted, as she punctuated her sentence with a thundering side kick that sent Shuzen flying back into his throne.

The ancient vampire collapsed gracelessly onto his seat, his body somewhat sore but his pride ghastly wounded, which infuriated him like nothing else. As he glared at the impudent child, the sound of mocking laughter assailed his sensitive ears. He looked off to the left, and saw Pfaria cackling in completely unacceptable and downright treasonous mirth. "_**STOP THAT LAUGHING!**_" he commanded.

His orders were promptly ignored, which raised his ire even further. As he seethed from his ruling seat, he watched as Kahlua glared at her older sister and elbowed her hard in the ribs. The blow disrupted the eldest sister's mirth, though not completely, as she continued to chuckle from her slight stooped over position.

"Aneue!" the blonde woman said sharply. "That's uncalled for!"

The leather-clad princess straightened up and looked to her sibling, a defiant grin on her pale face. "On the contrary, I think it's poetic justice. Once again," she continued, as she folded her arms under her chest, "a bully goes all to pieces when someone stands up to him."

Shuzen immediately shot to his feet, ignoring the gnawing pain that feebly tried to distract him. "Who are you calling a bully!" he demanded of his eldest child. "I am the lord and master of this realm!"

"_**ENOUGH!**_" the silver-haired woman shouted, as her harsh voice quickly garnered everyone's attention. Despite the lingering burns on her body and face, she stood undaunted amongst the throng of vampire royalty around her, much as she had when she first entered the audience chamber. Her crimson irises burned fiercely as they bore into those of her creator. "I am leaving," she spoke succinctly, her audacious tone indicating there would've been no room for argument, even though she wasn't entitled to have made such terms. "It's obvious none of you are interested in helping me, you're too caught up in your own designs to see what's really happening." A twinge of disappointment crossed her regal-looking features as she regarded the vampire lord. "Especially you, Otou-san. I honestly expected better of you."

The Third Dark Lord seethed in his seat, enraged that the false persona had the audacity to have pitied him. "Stop where you are!" he commanded sharply, as the child before him solemnly closed her eyes, turned and began to walk from the throne, her arms folded under her chest. "Did you hear me, I said stop!"

The alter ego of his third-born daughter continued down the hall, undeterred by Shuzen's commands. He growled viciously, incensed at such blatant insubordination. "Kahlua," he snarled through clenched teeth as he glared at the tanned princess.

He watched as the blonde woman gasped to herself, and then moved into the middle of the hall, directly behind her errant sister. "Moka-chan, stop right there!" she ordered sternly. She looked on as the retreating woman ignored her commands, which made her clench her fists tightly by her sides. "Moka-chan, you come back here right now!"

The master vampire hissed through his bared fangs, incensed by both his third-born's defiance and his second-born's incompetence.

Kahlua merely stood in place, and lightly bowed her head. "You're making me very sad," she spoke warningly, as her shoulders shook nervously. Clearly she was aware of her sire's displeasure, which he no longer concealed.

Shuzen growled fiercely as he rose from his chair, intent on personally pursuing his errant child. He suddenly looked off to the left, and saw Pfaria was no longer present. He hissed to himself, and scanned the audience chamber for her presence. Though he still couldn't detect her aura, which continued to infuriate him, he quickly caught sight of her, standing in between the approaching Moka and the exit. He relaxed slightly, pleased that his eldest child at least had the presence of mind to have blocked the door, since the silver-haired woman was clearly ignoring their commands.

"Where do you think you're going," the eldest of the four sisters demanded in a coarse voice.

The younger girl stopped in her tracks once she heard her sibling's voice.

"What, you think you can show up the old man and just waltz on outta here?"

Shuzen looked on incredulously at the pink-haired woman, indignant over her speech. "_'Show up the old man',_" he thought to himself. "_Is she even trying to act like a vampire? How badly do you intend to humiliate me, Pfaria?_" He groaned to himself, as he realized he should've known better than to have felt honored by her finally doing her duty, since she laughed so openly at his undeserved plight.

He looked on as the pink-haired princess took three slow steps towards her adversary, as the echo of her heavy leather boots carried all the way down to her sire's throne. "I don't think so."

The master vampire watched as his third-born showed no hint of fear within her. She didn't even seem wholly aware that Pfaria was right before her, which he knew would've infuriated her with her choleric temper.

"And you're actually going to try and stop me," Moka inquired, a strong sense of amusement in her voice, "how foolish. Move aside, dear sister, I haven't time to play with you now."

The taller woman instantly reached out with her right hand, grabbed the conceited girl by her Rosario, lifted her off the floor and brought her close to her incensed face. "Don't get cocky with me, you little puppet!" she snapped viciously. "I'm gonna cut all your strings and toss you out with the rest of the garbage!" She then hurled the unruly child onto the floor, and watched as she rolled back, placed her palms squarely against the floor, propelled herself into the air, and then landed on her feet with the grace of a dozen gymnasts.

"What do you think you're doing!" the castellan demanded, livid that his authority was being ignored. "I do not approve this contest!"

He looked on as Moka glanced over her shoulder towards him, and he seethed as he caught sight of a conceited smirk, then looked back to her older sister. As he silently fumed, he realized Kahlua was no longer in sight. He quickly scanned the area, and quickly spotted her hiding behind one of the columns along the left side of the room, as she reached into the back of her dress and produced what he knew was a concealed weapon.

"Is that so," the younger princess asked, amusement intermixed with mild elation in her regal voice. "Then come, Aneue," she spoke challengingly, as she got into a defensive stance, unaware that she'd been targeted. "At last, my promise to Haha-ue will finally be fulfilled."

Without warning, a metallic clicking sound pierced the air, followed by a sharp stab of pain in the silver-haired girl's back. She hunched over slightly, as her movements became sluggish. She reached behind her, and pulled out a small dart, which Shuzen quickly surmised was a tranquilizer. He watched as she looked at the projectile in her shaking hand, then looked back and saw Kahlua behind her, a small gun in her gloved hands. "Neesan, you-"

"I warned you, Moka-chan," the elder sister spoke unapologetically, "I would not allow you to recklessly endanger your life. Moreover, Lord Shuzen has forbade this contest. No blows shall be exchanged between either of you."

"No," the drugged woman groaned, desperately trying to fight off the tranquilizer's effects, "how dare you!" Her struggles resulted in another dart being shot into her shoulder. Her balance quickly became compromised, and she soon fell onto one knee.

"Don't bother to resist," the blonde woman spoke sternly, though there was a hint of sadness in her voice. "This is a highly potent sedative created from pure youki, designed to incapacitate ayashi with powerful demonic auras, even vampires." She raised the gun up to her face, as the barrel stopped near her cheek. "Haha-ue's personal concoction."

"No," Moka groaned weakly, incensed at the mention of her stepmother. But even her current indignation wasn't enough to fight back the sleeping poison that coursed through her body. She fell to her hands and knees, her head all but touching the floor.

Kahlua then stepped towards her nigh incapacitated relative, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rest now, Onee-chan," she spoke sweetly, as a tear ran down her face. "When you awaken, it will all be over."

"What's that supposed to mean," Shuzen asked himself, as he gazed suspiciously at his second-born daughter. Her own words confirmed to him that she had a hidden agenda.

Suddenly, an extremely irate Pfaria walked over to her younger sister, grabbed her throat and roughly pulled her to her feet. "What's the big idea!" she demanded angrily. "You stupid wench, that's the _second_ time you've spoiled my fun!"

"There will be no such _fun,_ Aneue," the tanned woman replied, the respect in her voice clearly forced, "Lord Shuzen has forbade it, and I will honor and enact his decrees as his daughter."

"Right, and I suppose you just _happened_ to have that tranquilizer gun on hand," the eldest of the four sisters asked with scathing sarcasm. "Don't insult my intelligence! What are you plotting, you little brat!"

"That is unimportant, I know well my station in His Lordship's kingdom, it's time for you to do the same. Abandon this decadent lifestyle you've embraced and return to us, your loving, and true family."

Pfaria emitted a rising growl as she reared back with her right fist, and drilled it right in her sister's mouth. The sheer force of the blow sent her flying back fifteen feet, and she bounced hard off the floor and tumbled repeatedly until she came to a stop, ten feet from Lord Shuzen's feet. She lied gracelessly on the floor, as her sister looked at her with undisguised contempt. "Go to hell."

Suddenly, the throne room doors burst open, as four figures invaded the lord's chamber. "Moka!" a disguised succubus cried out, as she foolishly led the charge forward.

The castellan immediately manifested his full power, which brought the invaders to a halt. With but a thought, he vanished from his standing point and reappeared before them, barring them from advancing on his daughter. He watched with a detached expression as the four youkai were brought to their knees by his invincible demonic power, unparalleled in all the youkai realms. He almost couldn't help but smirk in amusement, he knew they would've tried to rescue his daughter if she'd been harmed, and they predictably took the irresistible bait, like mindless moths to a flame. He almost thought it laughable that such weak-minded creatures could've possibly been stupid enough to challenge the foul usurper of _his_ rightful throne, when he was the only one who deserved to slay his hated nemesis. He planned to eliminate anyone that would've dared to deny him his revenge, especially the wretched creatures before him, helpless before his sovereign power.

As he peered down his nose at the stricken beings, the same girl who'd foolishly charged to her doom managed to get to her hands and knees, which almost amused him. She then raised her sickening face, wracked with agony yet still defiant, which truly annoyed him. "Shuzen," she growled through her pain, barely able to keep her disgusting body off the floor, "what have you done to Moka!"

"You do not need to know," the imperious daiyoukai spoke coldly, "for none of you shall **ever see her** _**AGAIN!**_" He motioned out to the side, and a huge explosion of dark energy erupted amongst the fallen girls, which scattered them about like the cockroaches they were. His superior expression never faltered as his supposed enemies laid crumpled on the floor, beaten before they even had a chance to resist, which was the way of his royal family, the rightful rulers of the world whose reign had lasted for over nine hundred years.

"Weak inferior creatures," Shuzen remarked contemptuously, as he levitated a purple-haired girl off the floor, only to hurl her across the room into a column with his indomitable might. "None of you are worthy of her presence!" he declared, as his first victim slid helpless down the column onto the floor, where she predictably and wisely succumbed to unconsciousness. He then turned to the youkai with black hair, and also levitated her off the floor. "How _dare _you attempt to desecrate her with your pestilent existence!" he spoke in truthful condemnation, as he telekinetically slammed her into another column, which rightfully rendered her unconscious as well. The indomitable vampire lord then turned to the despicable succubus in the floor, a look of disgusted annoyance on his divine countenance. "Your empty promises of companionship are nothing more than a charade," he spoke in a voice that instilled terror into the hearts of his enemies, as he telekinetically lifted her body into the air, "intended to lull my daughter into a false sense of security, so you can exact your mendacious murderous designs upon her!" he shouted, as he slowly began to lose his hand. As he did, the youki that bound his victim began to crush her fragile form. Her agonizes cried would've pleased him, had the outcome not been so predictable. "But I shall not permit it, I shall end your twisted desires, along with your worthless life! Never again shall you annoy my daughter with your loathsome presence!"

"Stuff it you self-righteous bastard!" the stricken creature defiantly shot back, despite her pathetic predicament. "Lilith-sama was right, you're no better than Dracula!"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the strongest of the Dark Lords shouted, and slammed her hard into the wall. "How _**DARE **_you compare me to- to _**HIM!**_" Not satisfied with her suffering, Shuzen began pushing her into the wall with his righteous youki, as it began to crack under the pressure. "You have forfeited your right to live, you filthy abhorrence!" He continued to force her into the wall, which caused her much-deserved agony. He kept her in place with his left hand, while he reared back his right, and concentrated his demonic aura into a large sphere of crackling cyan energy, which would've surely terminated the treacherous being before him once released. "_**DIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!**_"

Suddenly, a powerful grip latched onto his right ankle. The unexpected action disrupted his concentration and canceled out his final attack before he could've unleashed it. He also lost his grip on the succubus, who collapsed in a heap on the floor. He looked down, and saw the fallen form of his third-born daughter, desperately clutching his ankle. "Stop it," she spoke in a strained voice, "stop this now, Otou-san."

The master vampire tried hard to stop from trembling in rage. Just when he thought the situation couldn't have infuriated him any more, another annoying complication occurred that further incurred his ire. Not so much at the girl on the floor, but at his ex-wife for creating such a pathetic concoction that failed miserably in its task, and once again demonstrated the utter uselessness of science and technology, which she still advocated and pursued despite her long list of pitiful failures. "You begin to annoy me," he stated flatly, desperately trying to sound calm despite the seething rage within him. "_**SLEEP!**_" He brought down his immeasurable psychic power onto his defiant child, who promptly stiffened in response, and then became still on the floor. "Hmph, science," he muttered scornfully, "it is nothing compared to true power." He brought up his right hand, and a sphere of crackling cyan energy appeared in it. After a few seconds, he lashed out and hurled the orb behind him towards the prone succubus. It collided with her, and exploded with a tremendous force that shook the entire room, and assuredly terminated her worthless existence.

Once it subsided, he turned to his dozing daughter and knelt down beside her. He leaned over to pick her off the floor, but then a solid object collided with the back of his head, which made him growl in aggravation. Three more such objects assailed him, until he lashed out with a powerful blow that sent the next projectile flying into the far wall, and shattering on impact. Before it was destroyed, he watched its trajectory and saw the object in question was a kitchen sink. He looked on with a baffled look, confused as well as insulted that someone would've tried to attack him with a kitchen appliance. He looked about, and the last and youngest of the invaders, tightly gripping a pathetic-looking wand with a heart-shaped tip.

"You!" he snapped, annoyed that he'd been interrupted yet again. "You dare interfere with me," he demanded as he rose to his feet, and dwarfed the childish adversary with his vast presence.

"Leave Moka-san alone you, you, mean old man!" the witch had the audacity to demand.

"Enough of this! You are in no position to dictate terms to **me,** infant! You have been a thorn in my daughter's side for too long, so I am removing your bothersome presence from her life! _**I**_ am the only one who truly cares for her, _**I**_ am the only one who can protect her from this disgusting ungrateful world, as well as unscrupulous vermin like you!"

"**You're** the one who almost killed her nine years ago!" the witch pointed out to her peril. "So don't start with me about how much you care for her, desu! She doesn't need to be protected by you, she needs to protected **from** you!"

"_**SILENCE!**_" Shuzen shouted, a rightly lashed out to the side, which resulted in another explosion of his incomparable youki that sent the effusive and disrespectful witch flying. "How _**DARE**_ you suggest I am a threat to my daughter! Were it nor for me, she would've been executed for violating Council law! She understands I did what I had to do in order to guarantee her safety as well as satisfy the demands of the Council! An insignificant waif like yourself can never understand our grandness," he declared truthfully as he pointed to the fallen invader, "our purpose, our import to the workings of the world! Even if you studied for a thousand years, you would not even begin to even _remotely_ try to understand the governing body of the vampire race, and the order we bring to the world!"

The prepubescent conspirator actually had the audacity to get up from the castellan's humbling attack, in spite of the injuries she rightfully suffered. "Oh really," she spoke in a challenging voice, which was reason enough to have warranted her execution. "Let me see," she continued, as she placed the tip of her index finger under her chin. "From what I have learned about the Elder Council of Vampires, the type of government they most represent is an oligarchy, in which all political power within a society is entirely held a small group of select individuals."

Shuzen was positively startled, aghast that the child actually possessed the knowledge and the audacity to actually attempt to define the Council.

"The problem with oligarchies," the irreverent creature continued, "not to mention most forms of government, is that the longer the ruling members are in power, the more they tend to develop a sense of entitlement, as in feeling it's their divine right to rule over their domain. Which leads to them to making more and more illegal, immoral, and unethical decisions that tend to harm the very people they're supposed to represent, while at the same time insulating themselves from the consequences of said actions."

The vampire lord seethed as the waif continued her explanation, which began to increasingly wear on his thinning patience.

"However, since there's no balancing factor in an oligarchy, there's no means to hold the ruling members accountable, no matter how unethical they act, thus making it extremely difficult or even impossible to remove such unethical individuals from power. This seems especially true of Elder Council of Vampires, since they are immortal, they can conceivably rule for as long as they desire, and effectively squelch any and all attempts to-"

"_**SHUT UP!**_" Shuzen screamed, and unleashed another blast which sent the witch tumbling through the air. Once she landed on the floor, he scowled in contempt and began looking about the room. "Where are you, Pfaria!" he demanded. "I know you're laughing to me! You put her up to this cheap stunt, didn't you! How dare you continue to dishonor me and the Council! Were it not for me you would've been executed as well for your defiance! Be grateful that I care so much to go to such lengths to protect you!"

He continued to look about frantically, but found no sign of his nonconformist daughter. He tried to sense her presence, but again was unsuccessful, which he found completely unacceptable. "Come out, Pfaria, I command you!" He waited for several seconds, but again got no response. He half-closed his hands, and growled in anger and aggravation. "How dare you people try to make a mockery of me! I am the lord of this castle, the benevolent overseer of this family, and the most powerful and influential member of the Elder Council! I will not tolerate this flagrant disrespect to my station!"

He looked back to the child, who had yet to regain her footing. Incensed for her earlier outburst, he immediately stormed over, grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. "You insolent worms have annoyed me once too often! And just for this latest atrocity, I intend to make your death excruciatingly painful!"

"Kurumu-san was right," the witch spoke through her pain, "you're no better than Dracula."

"Silence! I've had enough of you and your cohorts making a mockery of my family and **me!** None of you are necessary for the well-being of _**my**_ daughter!" He lowered her slightly, and brought her face close to his. "_**I**_ am only one who can protect her! _**I**_ am the only one who deserves to! _**I **_am the only one, who can save her from Dracula!"

Without warning, a powerful fist slammed into the side of his face, which completely took him off-guard. He lost his grip on the child, and was sent tumbling sideways across the floor. When he finally came to a stop, he quickly looked back, and saw his eldest daughter fifteen feet away, her right fist still in the extended position, with the small witch in her left arm. The child looked up to her unexpected savior. "Pfaria-san."

The pink-haired woman said nothing at first, as her shielded gaze remained locked on her father. "Oh, now you've done it," she began coldly. "_You_ spoke his name." She knelt down slightly, and placed the smaller girl on the floor. "And the punishment," she continued, as she cracked her gloved knuckles, "is death."

Before she could've advanced any further, the sound of a cocking gun reached her ears. She looked beside her, and saw Kahlua thirty feet down the hall, who had a gun aimed at her. "Stop right there, Pfaria!" she demanded, despite the tears streaming down her face. "One more step and you die!"

The eldest of the four sisters almost looked insulted as she regarded the blonde woman. "Die," she asked with clearly feigned horror, "what do you think you're doing, dear sister? I am merely enforcing vampire law, and _you_ would dare interfere? You do realize that is also punishable by death, do you not?"

"Shut up!" the regally-dressed princess snapped. "Don't you dare try to justify this! This, this is treason!"

"Treason? _He's_ the one who broke the law," she remarked as she pointed to Shuzen, seemingly unable to understand her sister's objections. "Don't you remember, the law of vampires is absolute." She turned her gaze to her father, a look of death on her pale face. "No exceptions," she spoke in an icy voice of judgment.

The patriarch immediately sprung to his feet, incensed at being referred to as a common criminal. "You ungrateful wench, who do you think you are to judge **me!**"

"Silence, rogue!" Pfaria snapped, her voice cracking like a whip. "You have already demonstrated your guilt, do not patronize us any further with your pitiful lies, or should I rip your tongue from you _before_ your execution!"

The vampire lord seethed in rage, as his aura flared up again. "You can't do this to me!" he protested aloud. "I am your father!"

"Not anymore, when you invoked the name of the Devil, you demonstrated your true allegiance. Thus by law you have forfeited all titles, privileges, and positions of power." A conceited smirk crossed her features, as she placed both hands on her hips. "Well well, after all these centuries we finally see you for who you really are, an unscrupulous rogue trying to undermine and ultimately overthrow the esteemed Elder Council for the sake of your lord and master. Now it becomes clear, you sacrificed your own wife and daughter in order to conceal your true allegiance."

"Th-th-this is preposterous!" Shuzen shot back, flabbergasted that he'd actually been put on the defensive. "_**I**_ am the one who destroyed him, I would _**NEVER**_ desire his return!"

"Ha! Likely story," Pfaria replied dismissively. "You've already proved otherwise."

"What," Shuzen asked indignantly.

"You spoke his name, that alone demonstrates you personally desire his resurrection, and long to bring chaos and destruction to the world we oversee. _That,_" she went on, as she leaned her shoulders back proudly and thrust out her chest, concealed under her heavy leather jacket, "is the **only** reason anyone would ever speak his name."

The castellan's face twisted into a mask of rage and hate, infuriated that his daughter had actually used the Council's own arguments against him. He growled viciously, humiliated as he'd never been before in his entire existence. "Insipid child," he began, as he sounded more like a bloodthirsty animal rather than a youkai lord, "who are you trying to impress here! You think that _beermaker,_" he continued with scathing contempt, "is going to thank you for this transparent act?"

"You keep quiet about Heinrich," Pfaria growled warningly, but before she could've advanced on her father, a gunshot rang out, followed by a ricochet sound along with small sparks that came from the ground. Both she and her father turned and saw Kahlua in the distance, as smoke came from the barrel of her gun.

"Not another step," she spoke in a pained voice, "or the next one goes right into your head."

The pink-haired woman sneered in contempt as she regarded her younger sister. "You would dare defend a rogue," she asked tartly. "Very well, then you shall also be executed."

"_**ENOUGH OF THIS!**_" Shuzen roared in anger, as he levitated ten feet into the air and manifested his full power, which made the entire room quiver in mortal terror. He looked down hatefully at his eldest daughter, who futilely struggled to remain upright before his indomitable power. "How **dare** you use the law to try and destroy my family! How dare you use the law to try and destroy _**ME! I**_ make the law, _**I AM**_ the law! How _**DARE**_ you try and turn it against _**ME!**_"

"Don't blame me, old man!" Pfaria shot back. "**You're** the one who's always said the law is absolute, so that means it applies to everyone, **including** **you!**"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the patriarch screamed in nigh uncontrollable rage, as he drove his daughter down to her knees with the sheer oppressive force of his youki. "How _**DARE**_ you preach such sedition! I am the most powerful member of the Elder Council of Vampires, _**I**_ make the laws, they have **no bearing **upon me!"

The stricken woman growled as she struggled to even lift her head, which was a herculean task amidst in intense gravity created by her father's power. "Then that means you've been lying to us all along! And that means you murdered Moka and Heinrich for no reason, just like a typical vampire!"

"_**THAT'S IT!**_" Shuzen screamed, as he levitated Pfaria's body into the air, and immobilized her with the sheer force of his will. "I have had _**ENOUGH**_ of your insolence! And for daring to call _**ME**_ a typical vampire, I sentence you to death!" He concentrated his demonic power into both hands, as a huge sphere of intense cyan energy appeared, and his aura intensified, crackling with his hatred and rage.

Down on the floor, Yukari looked up with a horrified expression, almost overwhelmed by the severity of the situation. "No, stop!" she cried out. "Pfaria-san!"

"_**BEGONE, YOU UNGRATEFUL WENCH!**_" the nearly psychotic patriarch declared, as he reared back with both hands. "_**HELL WAVE!**_" He then thrust his hands forward, and released an enormous beam of his monstrous youki towards the suspended princess, who barely had a chance to scream as the ray struck her dead-on, and drilled her through the throne room wall. After that, there was nothing but silence.

"_**PFARIA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_" the young witch screamed at the top of her lungs, aghast at the fate of her savior.

Shuzen looked down at the wailing girl, tempted to laugh at her misguided sentiments. "Fool," he remarked casually, and dismissively waved his hand. Once he did, the witch was hurled into the far wall by his invincible power, and promptly lapsed into unconsciousness.

Kahlua looked on in awe and fear as her sire descended back to the floor and reined in his incomparable aura. She found herself unable to move or speak as he turned his brooding gaze to her.

"Do you understand now," the castellan asked his daughter, "_that _is how power is used. We do not need such useless implements," he continued reproachfully, as he pointed to the gun in her hands, "we are a force in our own right! We are weapons of ultimate destruction! **Nothing** can ever overcome us! The fact that you would rely on such a cheap toy rather than your own strength demonstrates your diligence to your craft is lacking." He disdainfully raised his nose into the air as he regarded his daughter. "Whatever will I tell your mother?"

The blonde woman screamed in mortal terror. "Anything but that, my Lord! Please, have mercy, please don't tell Haha-ue!"

Shuzen looked unimpressed, but he privately pleased with her response. He knew the threat of Veronica's wrath was more than enough to have brought his second-born daughter in line. He frowned to himself, and wished Akasha had been more effective in disciplining her own children. "Then clean up this mess, I'll decide their fate later."

Unable to stop shaking, the regally-dressed princess slowly bowed her head. "Yes, my Lord." She then stopped her trembling, and headed towards the bodies of the invaders.

The elder vampire watched her pass by, pleased that the matter was being promptly and efficiently handled. With that, he turned from the scene, as his cloak whirled around his regal form, and proceeded back towards his throne, headed to the door behind it, beyond which led the way to his private chambers. "Excellent," he spoke absently to himself, "after tonight, those simpletons will never trouble my daughter again." A foreboding glare crossed his ageless features as he passed through the rear door and headed down the hallway. "And once they're out of the way, you're next, Aono."

* * *

Holy crap! Tell me I did not just see that!

"_How could you not, you wrote it."_

Um, yes, good point. Anyway, will our tragic heroines survive this horrible night? Is Pfaria even still alive? And will Tsukune ever escape from his prison of dreams?

"And will Author-san ever stop with the melodrama? Gosh, I'd better get my big scene with Onee-sama next chapter, or I'm really gonna be steamed!"

Um, yeah, anyway tune in next time for a short omake, followed by Part II Chapter VI Five Ways to Die


	8. Part II Omake III

A/N – Hello everyone, hope you all survived the intense narcissism of the last chapter.

"You do realize D-Generation XX is going to kill you now."

"If we don't kill you first. What were you thinking, writing that trash?"

"And what was wrong with it, at least he somewhat redeemed himself by portraying me for the invincible ruler that I am. If only he weren't human, I'd be honored."

Uh yeah, thanks for the, uh, vote of confidence. Anyway, this was supposed to be part of the last chapter, but I'm _trying_ to cut down on chapter lengths, 17-18 pages seemed just fine for most readers. 25-30 is admittedly a bit much. ^^;;

"Especially when there's no Tsukune, so while you tell the omake, I'll be busy designing Tsukune-san's dark hero outfit for the next chapter when he comes in and beats up that mean old man, desu!"

"Hey! That's not even in the script!"

"It is now!"

Yukari, no editing of the script. Uh, anyway, as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Omake III  
Mafia Machinations

As the day proceeded into mid-afternoon, a married couple sat together in their own personal office deep within their palatial estate. The man appeared to be in his thirties, and wore a black dress shirt, with the collar unbuttoned, and matching pants. Both his dark hair and beard were neatly trimmed, and his face was lined from scars, reminders of the battles he'd fought. Next to him was a comely woman, garbed in elegant Chinese dress, embroidered with flower patterns throughout. Her dark hair was done up in a pair of small buns, high on her head, directly above her ears. She took a sip from her cup of tea, as the man, who sat behind his large desk, did the same.

The actual office did wonders to denote their wealth, and family history. A thick sapphire carpet covered the entire floor of the office, with the family crest embroidered in the center. The walls were lined with portraits of the couple, their children, and their ancestors, all dead and gone save for a somewhat diminutive figure in a white robe, with a black kimono underneath, who was present in virtually every portrait. Sunlight filtered in from the bright blue sky outside through the large window at the rear of the office, partially filtered through the royal purple silk drapes. The room remained at an even temperature, which further enhanced the peaceful air of the chamber.

Yet despite the comfortable atmosphere, the man noticed a great deal of concern about his companion, which didn't surprise him in light of the circumstances. "Worried about the kids, Mother," he asked, trying to reassure her.

"I'd be lying if I said otherwise," came the woman's reply. "I brought them both into the world, I can't help but worry." She inhaled sharply as she placed her tea back on its dish. "Especially Ling Ling. If that, fiend ever got a hold of her." She left the sentence incomplete, and looked to the man behind the desk. "Don't tell me you're not worried, Father."

The dark-clad individual tried to look jovial, but knew better than to laugh at his wife's concerns. "It'll be alright, we raised them both well. Besides, this is just a recon mission. Grandfather expressly forbade them doing anything dangerous."

"When has that ever stopped them," his spouse asked with a deadpan look.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from the intercom on their desk. The husband pushed a button which enabled two-way communication. "Yes," he asked.

"Sir," a respectful male voice came from the other end, "Fong Fong and Ling Ling's vehicle are, about to arrive on the estate grounds."

"Ah, splendid!" the man exclaimed joyfully, then turned to his wife. "See Mother, I told you there was nothing to worry about, our children are arriving safe and sound."

The matriarch looked decidedly unconvinced, as she detected a hint of hesitation in her subordinate's voice. She then pressed the two-way button on the intercom. "Is something wrong," she asked, a hint of sternness in her usually soft voice.

"Um, yes, ma'am," the voice on the other end replied, "the driver said there's, someone else in the car with them."

The married couple looked to one another, each with worried expressions on their faces. A myriad of frightening scenarios played through their minds, and then the wife turned back to the comm device. "Get everyone to the front gate," she ordered, "arms at the ready!"

"Yes, ma' am!" her underling replied crisply, and then the line was cut.

The husband looked to his partner in disbelief. "Someone else in the car," he asked worriedly, "what could've happened to them, Mother?"

The Chinese woman furrowed her brow, as she fingered some of her concealed weapons. "Let's find out. Make sure Grandfather knows of this."

"Right, Mother!"

* * *

The couple soon made their way to the entrance, and passed through into the courtyard, where their associates had already formed a protective wall, armed with a myriad of swords and various kinds of manual and automatic guns. They watched as the front gate was opened, and the family car calmly drove through. They sensed no hostile intent within the vehicle, though they knew it could've easily been a deception, so they got into a defensive position.

The limo continued up the paved driveway, and soon came to a stop by the mansion entrance. The mafia leader had his hand up, which signaled his men to get ready, while he held a curved sword in his left hand. The rear door of the vehicle opened, and two dark-haired teenagers quickly climbed out. The male was quite surprised by the unexpected and somewhat unfriendly welcome, while his female companion seemed as amused as ever.

"Ah, hello Mother, hello Father," the girl replied with a reverent bow of her head, "so nice of you to gather everyone for our return."

The Chinese woman was slightly taken aback by her daughter's response, but quickly regained her composure. "Ling Ling, Fong Fong," she asked in a calm yet firm voice, "who is that in the car with you?"

"Oh, you noticed," the zombie replied with an air of macabre joy. "Yes, we picked him up at the academy." She lightly tilted her head as she regarded her parents. "Can we keep him?"

The matriarch groaned in response, and lightly placed her left hand on the side of her head. Her husband gave her a wary look, then turned back to the limo. "Alright, you!" he called out to the parked vehicle. "Come out of there quietly! Don't upset Mother any more than she already is!"

"Dear me," an urbane male voice came from the limo, "can't really have that, can we my good man?"

The mafia couple instantly looked to one another, surprise on both their faces. Clearly they hadn't expected such a non-threatening response. Moreover, the aura they felt from the opened vehicle matched no human or demon they knew about. It was neither good nor evil, neither had a word to have accurately described what they felt. They looked back, and watched as a tall slender man in a red tuxedo climbed out of the rear of the car. Once he stood up straight, he placed the top hat in his gloved hands back onto his head. "Hello everyone," he spoke politely, as he looked about the somewhat hostile crowd. "Hmm, now which one of you chaps would be Fuhai Touhou?"

"Chaps!" one of the armed men snapped. "You gotta lot of nerve talking about Big Boss like that!"

The newcomer looked to him for a second, then a noticeable frown crossed his features. "Oh my word, it's the mafia. That driver fellow failed to inform me of this, I'm going to have to have a few words with him."

The woman near the entrance slapped her right hand over her respective eye. "He came here not knowing Grandfather was a mafia leader," he asked incredulously. She then gave her daughter a very stern look. "You could've at least warned him, Ling Ling," she spoke in a chiding manner.

"What," the reanimated corpse asked in feigned surprise, "and spoil the surprise? Oh, perish the thought," she concluded with a sweet yet truly devious smile.

The matriarch groaned in chagrin, and dug her slender fingers into her scalp.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from inside the house. The married couple turned, and saw a familiar figure headed towards them, his long white hair and robe flowing behind him. He ran right past them, and stopped in front of the stranger. A loud gasp from the diminutive figure as he beheld the unusual man. "Saint Germain, you have returned!" he exclaimed in his aged voice.

The armed throng looked positively thunderstruck at what they'd just heard, and all their mouths gaped open.

"Grandfather," the Chinese youth asked with a surprised look, "you know him?"

"Indeed, Fong Fong. It's most fortuitous that you brought him here, much better than I'd expected."

"Um, thank you, Grandfather," the incognito yasha replied warily, not sure if he'd actually been complimented or what he'd actually accomplished.

Near the entrance, the married couple looked on in sheer awe and disbelief. "Saint Germain," the husband asked.

"The same Saint Germain who brought the Three Dark Lords together," his wife asked.

The man all but facefaulted as he made the connection. "That was over three hundred years ago!"

"We can reminisce later," the ancient youkai spoke curtly as he turned to his descendants. "Fei-Hung, Tim-Tim, get everyone inside. There's much to discuss and not much time to do it in. Time _is_ literally of the essence."

The demon sorcerer shook for a moment and then regained his composure. "Yes, Grandfather!"

* * *

Fuhai, his descendants, and Saint Germain gathered in the huge living room of the Wong estate. The children's report from the academy, coupled with the Second Dark Lord's own revelation the previous day, along with what the time traveler revealed, made the atmosphere very grim, as everyone realized the severity of their predicament.

"I can't believe this," Fei-Hung spoke with a blank look of utter shock. "Mikogami, defeated?"

Fuhai groaned in acknowledgment, as he slid his wrinkled hands into his sleeves. "I had hoped it was simply mere bluster," he conceded, "but now there's no denying it. The fall of Mikogami has undoubtedly created shockwaves throughout the youkai realms. No telling what'll happen should the Mius ever become aware of this development."

Tim-Tim inhaled sharply, and cringed at the thought of her old family exploiting the situation. Or even worse, allying themselves with Dracula's followers.

"Mother," her husband asked worriedly as he took her in his strong arms.

"Oh, Father," the usually formidable fighter replied sadly as she clung tightly to him.

The Second Dark Lord looked to his great-granddaughter. He had an inkling of what troubled her, but chose not to press the issue. He then turned back to the enigmatic man nearby. "But tell me," he spoke urgently, as his teeth ground against his long smokepipe, "what has become of the Grand Barrier?"

"Ah yes," the blonde stranger replied, "that's one of the reasons I came here. That driver chap told me to come fetch you, and then pick up Lucien." A perplexed look cross his features at that moment. "No, wait, he doesn't call himself that anymore. What does he go by now," he asked himself, as he looked to the ceiling and pondered the issue. "Ah yes, that's it, Lord Shuzen. After that, we need to return to the academy by dawn tomorrow."

"Or else, what," Fei-Hung asked nervously, fearful of what he would've heard, but felt obligated to know regardless.

Saint Germain turned to him, a grave expression on his ageless features. "Or else, the Grand Barrier will fall."

"_**WHAT!**_" everyone in the room screamed in unison.

"Are you mad!" Fuhai demanded of the time traveler. "How can you expect me to accomplish all this in such a short timeframe?"

"Terribly sorry," the blonde man spoke up, as the raised his hands in an attempt to soothe the suddenly incensed youjutsu master, "but I had nothing to do with the arrangement. The laws of time have been repeatedly broken, and the guardians of this world are severely displeased. Granted, they're even more so that Zead slipped into this dimension unnoticed, but still, rules are rules. Had they not made this arrangement, the barrier would've fallen yesterday after that lad demolished that old dungeon on campus."

"Old dungeon, you mean the one where we imprisoned the last of Dracula's followers?"

"Yes, that one! Poor lad," the otherworldly man spoke gravely, as he gave his head of long blonde hair a light shake, "he has no idea how badly Zead has hoodwinked him. But, this is what Dracula's power does to a person's heart. It perverted his desire to protect his close friends, until he himself has become the monster he wishes to slay."

Tim-Tim gasped audibly, and covered her opened mouth with her slender fingers. Her husband held her comfortingly against him, silently sharing in her chagrin. Both were reminded of the old mantra, "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Neither had to ask more to realize it had been proven true once again.

Fong Fong listened intently, also aghast at what he'd heard. He then considered what he and sister learned at the academy, and when he cross-referenced it with what he'd just heard, a horrible idea came to him, which made his violet eyes go wide. "Lad," he asked nervously, "you don't mean-"

"Tsukune Aono," his sister finished with a dark smile, "the man accused of Mikogami's death. This gets more interesting by the moment."

Fuhai growled lightly to himself, somewhat put out with his descendant's morbid fascination over the entire incident. Granted, she wasn't alive when Dracula walked the earth, though he knew he had to keep an eye on her, lest her curiosity sway her to the point where she fell under his control, as had hundreds of others throughout the ages. And though he was honor-bound to never reveal the horrors of Dracula to the modern world, he realized it was happening regardless, so he planned to have a long talk with Ling Ling in the very near future.

A long sigh emitted from the Second Dark Lord as he turned to the enigmatic man. Though there was still much he didn't understand, he knew there wasn't time for a full inquiry on the matter, so he focused on the task at hand and turned to his children. "Fei-Hung, Tim-Tim, gather your best men at the front gate in fifteen minutes, they're coming with me to Issa's castle, fully armed and with all the medical supplies on hand."

The matriarch's eyes went wide at she'd just been told, as her mind envisioned the possibilities. "Are you saying he's going to be attacked?"

"I wouldn't put it past them, Tim-Tim. Mikogami has already fallen, Issa could very well be next. And even though Zead might no longer be here, it'd be foolish to assume he has no more allies in this dimension." He groaned to himself, and slightly bowed his head. "I can't believe I just said that," he remarked, then turned to the time traveler. "Please tell me you at least know where to find Issa. He disappeared nine years ago and I haven't heard from him since."

"Ah yes, that driver chap from the academy was kind enough to offer directions. Though I felt a bit uneasy the way he chuckled after he gave them," he continued with a perturbed look as he lightly rubbed his chin, "almost makes it sound like there's going to be a bit trouble over there."

Fuhai grimaced at what he'd just heard, as he realized his concerns were more accurate than he'd expected. He then sharply turned to his great-granddaughter. "Make it ten minutes."

The Wong matriarch coughed nervously at the change in orders. "Grandfather, if the situation is that severe, shouldn't Father and I come with you? Sounds like you're going to need all the help you can get."

"No, I need you two to remain here with the others in case the Mius attempt to exploit my absence. Trust me, I know well how difficult Issa can be. Even if his castle is under siege, he will never ask for help."

Ling Ling sighed in frustration. "That tiresome vampire pride again, should we really go to so much effort for someone who'll never thank us? Frankly I find it a waste of time."

"We must," the ancient youkai told his descendant. "If Issa dies, his fraction of Dracula's soul will be released, and will quickly gravitate back towards the remains of his castle to await his full resurrection. That must be avoided at all costs!"

"Oh, what a pity," the zombie replied, her lips pursed in light disappointment, "and I was so looking forward to meeting him."

The Second Dark Lord quickly closed the distance between himself and his great-great-granddaughter. "Trust me, young lady, you do _not_ want to meet him. He cannot be allowed to walk amongst the living again. Stay here with your parents to keep an eye on things, I'll return when I can."

The young woman groaned in more obvious disappointment.

* * *

Meanwhile, a few miles from the Wong estate, lied a vast heavily guarded compound, which was converted from an old palace in ancient times. A high stone wall surrounded the entire structure, and a locked gate served as the only entrance. Four Chinese dragon statues lined the stone walkway that led inside the huge building.

Deep within the compound was a regal-looking audience chamber, with a huge dragon-shaped crest in the rear of the room. From the huge double doors stretched a long purple carpet, with the family insignia embroidered in the center. On each side of the carpet stood a combination of fifteen men and women, each in black suits with concealed weapons underneath. The carpet went up the steps of a moderately high dais, and stopped at the base of a pair of thrones, each made of solid gold with ornate carvings throughout its entirety. Upon the thrones sat a couple who seemed almost out of place in the modern world, as they both wore bright red and gold robes, held together by a jewel encrusted sash, which spoke of ancient Chinese royalty. The man had a clean-shaven head, and a long Fu Manchu style mustache and beard. He wore a detached look in his imperious charcoal-colored eyes, and his face bore no wrinkles, which indicated he never smiled. Beside him was a foreboding-looking woman, her long black hair done up in a single bun, and a deep scowl on her Oriental features. Her charcoal-colored eyes seemed to smolder as they peered towards the matter at hand.

Before the pair was a figure in a hooded black robe which concealed his entire being, with a bat-shaped medallion that rested on his chest. Its only discernible features were a pair of red eyes that glowed deep within the darkness created by his upturned cowl. His thin hands, visible from under his long flowing sleeves, were folded together in front of him.

"This is not what we agreed upon," the man on the throne began, his face still impassive but an audible twinge of disgusted annoyance in his deep voice.

"Yes, I apologize for the misunderstanding, Lord Miu," the dark-clad being began in a penitent voice, as he extravagantly motioned his arms to the side, "I can't begin to tell you how distressed this makes everyone at the home office."

"We are not amused," the regal woman spoke in a cold, menacing voice, as she leaned forward in her chair and glared at the newcomer. "Where is Veronica Shuzen?"

"I apologize, my Lady, but Ms. Shuzen tends to keep herself locked up in her laboratory most of the time, it would do her a world of good to pay more attention to her own company, wouldn't you agree?"

"This was supposed to be a legitimate business transaction," Lady Miu spoke warningly, "not the partaking of some demented cult worship of a make-believe god." Wisps of smoke shot from her nostrils. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't personally execute you for this absurd distraction."

"Ah, but you see," the stranger replied as he stretched forth his hand, "that is exactly what those three pretenders want you to believe. They usurped His Lordship's throne of darkness and have conspired for three hundred years to erase his existence from the world. But now, the time of his glorious revival is at hand!" he proclaimed grandly, as he dramatically raised his hands aloft. "Already, Mikogami has been laid low for his defiance of Lord Dracula, it shan't be long before the others fall in due time."

"What!" the mafia lord exclaimed as he rose from his throne. "Mikogami, defeated?"

"Verily, my Lord. And he has called for deaths for Issa Shuzen and your own arch-nemesis, Fuhai Touhou. Would you not wish to repay him a thousandfold for absconding with your dear daughter?"

"How do you know of this," Lord Miu inquired, as he narrowed his eyes into deadly slits.

"Lord Dracula knows many things, this is but one he has revealed to me. Yes, once he has been restored to full glory, the world shall be freed from the deceptions of the three opposers, and return to how it used to be. No longer will we need to hide ourselves away or pretend to be mortals in order to walk amongst the masses. No, this world will once again, be ruled by darkness, as it so desires."

"Gee, he's laying it on thick," one of the guards spoke out of the corner of his mouth.

"You think," the guard beside him replied in similar fashion, "he's about two pancakes short of a breakfast."

"No kidding," a third guard interjected lowly, "I didn't think vampires knew how to grovel."

"Enough!" Lady Miu shouted, as she glared at the guards who'd spoken out of turn. She then turned her attentions to the robed figure by the dais. "Is this truly the corporate agenda," she asked with an annoyed stare. "I knew Veronica was eccentric, but to build an entire corporation around such an absurd premise? My goodness, she should've been committed long ago."

"Is Veronica even aware of this, venture," her husband inquired with a curious expression.

Before the mysterious figure could've responded, a beeping noise came from the pouch tied to his sash. "Just a moment," he spoke up, opened the pouch with his left hand and produced a cellphone, which looked completely out of place with a man dressed in such medieval attire. He slid it open and placed it near his ear, as half of it disappeared under his hood. "Yes," he asked into the device.

A very obstreperous male voice came from the other end, speaking in a foreign tongue.

"[Ah yes, hello Congressman,]" the robed being replied respectfully in the same language.

Lord and Lady Miu looked at one another, as they both knew their guest had spoken in English. "Congressman," the lord asked his wife.

"[Ah, don't you worry, sir,]" the still-unknown youkai continued, "[the person in question is being dealt with as we speak. Veronica is looking forward to experimenting on your little, antagonist.]"

"Experimenting," the criminal matriarch spoke to herself, as a twinge of fear came into her heart for the first time in recent memory.

"[Yes, yes, we appreciate that million-dollar donation you arranged for us. Veronica was very, stimulated.]"

A nasty laugh came from the other end.

"[Yes, sir, I wholeheartedly agree, you'll definitely have our support for your re-election campaign.]

A pleased response came from the receiver.

"[Yes, glad we could be of service to such a fine representative of your great country. Terribly sorry to cut it short, but I'm with another client now. You'll be updated as soon as the situation changes. Goodbye, Congressman.]" He promptly closed his phone and put it back in his pouch.

Lord Miu looked even more suspiciously at the man. Not once during the encounter had he been able to peer through the darkness beneath the figure's hood and see his facial features. He sensed his powerful aura and instantly knew he was a vampire, but one who acted nothing like his brethren. But he definitely had a lot of influence and connections, which as he recently discovered included a U.S. Congressman. That fact intrigued him, and troubled him all the more.

At that moment, the robed figure coughed nervously. "Terribly sorry about the inconvenience," he spoke in Chinese, "that was another client of ours."

"Just as well," the criminal lord replied, "we are going to need more time to consider this matter." He leaned forward and bore his burning black eyes into those of the figure before him. "But next time we call, make sure Veronica comes personally."

"Oh yes, my Lord, it shall be done," the mysterious being replied politely with a reverent bow of his head.

"Very well, you may depart."

The still-unknown figure quickly turned and made his way from the audience chamber. As he did, the Miu leaders looked to one another.

"Do you trust him," the lady of the house inquired.

"No, but he clearly has powerful connections. We need to keep a close eye on him, and Veronica. There's more to this venture than we were told."

"Yes, my Lord, consider it done."

* * *

Oh gosh, looks like there's going to be more trouble between the Capulets and- uh, the Wongs and the Mius. Yes, I knew that, I really did. Will the Mius assist the mysterious robed figure who claims to work for Moka's wicked stepmother? Will Fong Fong and Ling Ling be good little children and stay home? And what, if anything, will Fuhai find when he reaches Castle Shuzen?

"A smoking hole in the ground?"

"A charnel house?"

"A new manga outlet?"

"Wow, then I really need to get over there! Hopefully they're not cursed like my last issues were!"

Yeah, his priorities are definitely in check. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter VI Five Ways to Die


	9. Part II Chapter VI

A/N: Hello everyone, hope you all had a Merry Christmas.

"And what better way to start the new year than with Super Tsukune-san showing he can trash crotchety old men even better than Black Mage from 8-bit theater. Yay, it'll be even better than electric death, desu!"

"Yukari-chan, you're getting ahead of yourself again."

"What, aw come on! I even designed your dark superhero outfit. It'll be so awesome, desu."

"I'd like to see you in it, too, Tsukune. And you can see me in mine."

"Um, Moka-san? Are you, feeling alright?"

"Never better, my dear Tsukune. You know, I admit I had reservations about the direction of this fic, but... after some soul-searching, I say it's that it's started to, grow on me. Don't you feel the same, Tsukune-kun?"

"_Omote, what do you think you're doing?_"

"Yeah, you're starting to act like Inverse Moka from Bleach to Vampire."

"Are we sure it isn't her, Mizore-chan?"

"_It better not be, bad enough our stupid perverted author is engrossed over it, but letting them sneak into our fic? I don't think so._"

"Oh, come now, Ura-chan. Have a little faith in me. She's doesn't seem so bad, we should go cosplaying together."

"_Absolutely not! I am not going to be seen in public looking like that, that sickening floozy!_"

"Oh, you're no fun at all. Wouldn't be the same without you, Ura-chan."

"_And how do you intend to pass as her? You don't even remotely look like that idiot, thankfully._"

"I'm sure that'll be rectified over the course of the saga. I don't think Tsukune would mind. Would you, my precious, delicious, succulent Tsukune?"

"_**ARGH!**__ That's it, you've gone __**too far **__this time, Author. For corrupting Omote's stupid yet innocent mind, I'm going to rip your limbs off and shove them up your pooter!_"

Uh oh, time to make tracks! And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vamprie or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners! Now, on with the show!

"_**GET BACK HERE!**_"

"Don't worry, I'll save you, Author-san!"

_SHING!_

"_Hey! Where'd you get a zanpakuto?_"

"Oh crap."

Part II Chapter VI  
Five Ways to Die

In the rear seat of the armored stretch limo, a mysterious figure clad in a hooded black robe sat with his hands folded in front of him, surrounded by his personal escort, which was comprised of five men and one woman, all clad in black suits and hats. The meeting with the Mius hadn't quite gone as planned, though he deemed it a temporary setback in his larger objectives. In fact, he deemed the absence of his eccentric and increasingly erratic business partner as a boon, for it gave him total rein over the negotiations. And though a resolution wasn't reached, he was quite certain the Mius would've eventually joined their cause, especially if they had even the most remote chance of regaining their wayward daughter, Tim-Tim. And with their assistance, they would've gone far in eliminating Fuhai Touhou, which would've left the Third as the only remaining obstacle to his lord's glorious plans. And once his associates outside his dimension had completed their work and returned, the resurrection of Count Dracula would've soon become a reality. With that, they would've finally corrected the grievous oversight of over three hundred years before, and returned the world to its true splendor, one ruled by darkness. He smiled in elation, as he anticipated the day when his dreams and those of his associates would've been realized.

At that moment, a dark premonition came to him. He quickly produced an onyx crystal ball, which revealed a most disturbing scene, far from his current location. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," the figure spoke to himself, "what has he gone and done this time?"

"Is everything alright, sir," one of his bodyguards inquired.

The mysterious being coughed nervously, a bit embarrassed that he'd been overheard. "Yes, a most, troubling matter has come to my attention. I'll have to step out for a bit."

"We don't have time for sightseeing," the sole woman of the escort bluntly interjected, an unconcealed scowl on her face, "we have to return to headquarters on schedule."

"Bertha!" the man to her left spoke reproachfully. "Show some respect for the boss!"

The disguised youkai responded with a vicious elbow to the gut, which made her comrade groan in pain. The others winced, as they swore they'd felt the limo jolt when the blow landed.

"Don't call me Bertha," the brunette woman spoke in a cold, menacing voice, which exposed her deadly fangs.

"Now now," the robed figure interjected as he held his hands up, trying to placate his subordinates, "let's not get riled up over a trivial matter. I promise, this won't take long." He concentrated his immense youki, and smelt the fear of everyone in the car except the burly woman in front of him. He glowed with an eerie black aura, then turned into black mist and vanished.

There was an unsettling silence for several seconds, as the bodyguards looked on in shock at where their superior once sat. The lone female bodyguard looked severely aggravated at what had just occurred.

"Hey!" the driver's voice came from over the intercom. "What happened to the boss?"

"Who knows where he's gone off gallivanting," the annoyed brunette grumbled with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Knowing him he's leaving us to explain this mess to that basket case."

"Get a hold of yourself, you know what happened to the last person who talked smack about Veronica-sama. Be sensible, nothing good will come from challenging her."

"And that's alright with you," the husky woman asked pointedly. "Our illustrious founder," she continued with a sarcastic roll of her eyes, "is a three-quarters crazed mad scientist, her co-chair dresses up as a druid, and SD7 leader claims to be God. What is so sensible about any of that?" She looked around to her cohorts, and found all of them with uncomfortable looks on their faces, and not one explanation, which annoyed her even further.

Her irritation increased exponentially at the sound of the company phone, which resounded with a fast-paced high-tech ring tone that made everyone in the car gasp in sheer terror. The ring tone resounded five more times, much to everyone's chagrin.

"Hey," one of the more timid bodyguards protested, "isn't it supposed to go to the voice mail?"

"Not with her," the man next to him replied, a long scar across the bridge of his nose, "when she calls it'll keep ringing until someone picks up. That's how she designed them, rookie."

The younger bodyguard groaned to himself, while the scarred man finally picked up the phone. "Yeah?"

"Where the hell are you idiots!" a frantic female voice demanded over the phone, and was also broadcast over the intercom, which created a surround sound effect. "We had an important business meeting with our new prospects today and you have the unmitigated gall to leave headquarters without **me!** Don't you realize who I am you impotent pea-brained pencil pushers I am the founder, CEO, and sole stockholder of my glorious corporation who had the infinite generosity of employing you reprobates who would've never survived in any other part of the world! I am also omniscient and undeniably voluptuous you should be honored to have even known of my magnificent self, let alone be allowed to serve me even though you've done a pathetic job at it!"

"As reasonable as ever," the female bodyguard spoke under her breath.

"I heard that, Bertha! Don't you give me any lip or I'll dock you ten years pay! Either that or I'll turn you over the Council, depending on my mood, and you _know_ how they deal with half-breeds, don't you? _Don't you?_ _**DON'T YOU!**_"

"Ma 'am, we called you three times," the senior guard interjected, "you wouldn't respond. Our clients weren't pleased that you didn't even show, be grateful they didn't turn us down flat."

"Or turn us into shish kebabs," a third bodyguard added, grateful that the Mius hadn't lashed out against them.

"I don't want to hear any more of your pathetic excuses!" Veronica's voice demanded over the intercom. "Get your butts back here or I'm using you all as test subjects for my latest creation and then using what's left of you for compost so _**MOVE IT!**_"

The sound of a dead line filled the limo interior, which did nothing but fill the driver and passengers with an oppressive feeling of dread, which didn't fade as time went on.

* * *

In a small chamber in the deeper levels of Castle Shuzen, Kahlua stood mournfully by an altar, upon which lied the body of her deceased sister. She wrapped her slender arms around herself in an attempt to calm her shivering body, as the tears continued to flow from her grieving eyes.

"Pfaria," the blonde princess spoke sadly, "I never wanted it to end like this. I would've granted you a peaceful release, not-" She broke down into another fit of sobbing, as she recalled the merciless way her sister's life was taken. "Chichiu-e, what have you done," she asked through her intense anguish. "What's happened to you? I thought you loved us, how could-" She collapsed onto her knees, the emotional agony far outweighing her temporary pain in her knees. "How do you intend to tell this to Moka-chan, to Akasha-san? Do you really think they'll thank you for this?" She placed her forearms on the side of the altar, and rested her grieving face upon them. "I'm really scared, I'd always believed everything Chichiu-e did was for our benefit. What am I supposed to believe now?"

After several long seconds, she got a temporary hold of her tears, and pushed herself to her feet. "The only condolence from this," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "is that now he'll never know your terrible secret. I'll take it with me to the grave, Aneue. It's the least I can for you, my precious Pfaria-chan."

She looked around for several seconds, as she scanned for any auras in the area. Satisfied that she was alone, she returned to her knees, bowed her head of curly blonde hair, solemnly closed her eyes and intertwined her fingers together. Though she knew her father would've furious had he caught her in such a penitent position, since he forbade all religious expressions within his domain, she couldn't have found it within herself to merely walk away from her fallen sibling without some form of supplication.

"If there's anyone out there who still has any compassion for us," she began somberly, "please grant my dear sister the peace in death that she rarely knew in life. Forgive her for all the sins she'd committed, as well as us." Once she was finished, she rose to her feet and headed for the exit. Once she'd opened the door she looked back at her sister one last time. "Is this the price we must pay to maintain order?" She looked away sharply, and sadly closed her eyes. "Maybe Aneue, and Akasha were right, maybe the Council does ask for too much." She then quietly made her way out of the room, and closed the door behind her. Her footsteps echoed outside the chamber, until they faded into the distance.

A few moments later, a cloud of black smoke arose from the floor. From the cloud emerged a shrouded figure, clad in a black robe, with a pair of glowing red eyes visible from under its hood. The newcomer quickly went to the altar, and looked intently at the body upon it. "Oh, how utterly dreadful," it spoke to itself, "murdering your first-born child so brutally? You are truly a despicable man, Lucien. Hmph, I suppose it comes from your father's side of the family."

The figure inspected Pfaria's body closely, and peered even deeper into her being. "Oho, is this right," he asked himself, as he saw the unfulfilled desires in her dead heart. "Hmm," he mused as he rubbed his chin, "this could make my job easier." He briefly concentrated his youki, and waved his hands in slow, deliberate motions. A moment later, a huge black sigil appeared under the altar. He brought his arms out by his sides, and joined his hands together high overhead. Once he did, a shielding dome-like barrier arose, which enclosed the area around the altar, along with the caster. "There, now that it's in place, Lucien will never know what's about to occur, until it's too late."

He raised his hands aloft, which glowed with a vile dark violet aura. "Oh ancient powers of darkness," the figure began in a chanting voice, "heed the words of thine faithful servant. Grant this fallen angel thine infernal blessing, so she might complete her unfinished task." Black smoke arose from the sigil, and quickly engulfed the altar. The sinister being watched as the dark power seeped into Pfaria's dead body, which glowed with the same aura as his hands. Knowing the ritual would've been successful, as well as the ensuing consequences, the dark figure merely laughed to himself, exultant at the thought of the castle being consumed in chaos and death.

* * *

Ayumu's scowl never left her face as she sat impatiently within the interrogation room, her arms folded under her chest and her right leg crossed over her left. A single light shown overhead, with a television monitor on the far wall, and a one-way mirror on the opposite wall. She briefly looked at herself in the mirror. Her pink-haired was still done up in a tight bun in the back of her head, and still looked presentable, even though she hadn't a chance to freshen up since yesterday. However, she knew that was the least of her problems. It truly irritated her at being treated like a common criminal, and hoped for a rather speedy question and answer session. She looked at the ring on her finger. As she concentrated her thoughts, she realized she couldn't sense Moka's presence from the ring on her side. It troubled her deeply, for the sensations she'd detected told her Moka had just met her father, and then her presence simply vanished. That aggravated her, for she'd lost the signal just before she could've pinpointed her ex-spouse's abode. She hissed to herself, and began to fear the worst despite the lack of evidence. As she pondered the issue, she began to believe Issa either acted hastily, or enacted an already formulated plan. She frowned to herself, as she should've known her former mate would've had an ulterior motive behind their meeting. Once the link was restored, and became strong enough, she would've followed it to her daughter. And if she had perished, she wouldn't have stayed her hand any longer, and unleashed the nine years of pent up anger and frustration on whoever dared take her daughter away from her again.

Around that time, the door opened, and two men came into the room, both with folders under their arms. The lead one wore a plain tan trench coat, with a dark blue business suit and slacks underneath. He also wore a white dress shirt and a deep red tie. His somewhat receded hair was parted to the left, with neatly trimmed sideburns that ran to just below his ear. His face, physique, and stature were somewhat unimpressive, but the steely look in his dark eyes made people forget his average looks quickly. Behind him was a more burly man in a light brown suit, with darker brown slacks. He wore a light blue dress shirt and a dark string tie around his neck. His neatly trimmed gray hair was mostly hidden underneath his very disturbing wide-brimmed hat. As the man headed to the other side of the table and turned towards her, she irritation only grew as she saw the handlebar mustache on his somewhat bloated face, as well as an oversized belt buckle, which had the engraving of a bull head upon it.

"Good afternoon, Ayumu-san," the first man began politely, surprisingly in English. "Before we begin, I'd like to introduce Detective Stan Mason of the Houston PD."

"Howdy, ma' am," the second man spoke up, with a light tip of his hat.

"_A cowboy,_" the incognito countess thought to herself in chagrin, "_I hate cowboys._"

"Care for a cup of water," the foreigner asked, as he pushed a plastic cup towards her.

"No," she replied with a cold stare.

The mustached man seemed intrigued, and took the cup back. "Ya don't say," he remarked, and drank from it himself.

Ayumu narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed that he hadn't flinched from her hard look. She became suspicious, as her instincts told her that he knew more than he was letting on. She pushed her troubled thoughts aside, and exhaled bitterly as she regarded the first man. "What's the meaning of this, Kuroshiro," she asked impatiently. "I'm a busy woman and I don't have time for your meddling in my affairs."

"You should just simmer down there, little lady," Mason interjected with a veiled threat in his voice as he began to rise from his seat. "This wouldn't be the first time I've tossed a lawyer in the clink."

"Stand down, Detective," the Japanese officer spoke up as he held out his arm. He watched as his temporary companion sat himself again, then turned back to the pink-haired woman on the other side of the table. "You know what this is about, Ayumu-san, you've been avoiding us for three days on this matter. I called your office several times and you never returned them. I even went there yesterday afternoon and they said you stepped out of the office and never came back. You never came home last night, either."

"How do you know this," the disguised vampire demanded.

"I had your house staked out. Even questioned your housekeeper, who told us she had no idea where you'd gone or when you'd return. Our men waited until almost dawn, and you never returned." He leaned forward in his chair and leveled his steely gaze at her. "Care to explain the dire emergency that forced you to disappear for most of the day?"

"No," the lawyer spoke flatly, familiar with his tactics, "and I don't appreciate you invading my privacy, Kuroshiro. Mind your own business, this doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does," the dark-haired man spoke sternly through clenched teeth, his patience clearly being strained. "Four massacres have occurred in this town over the past three days, the last two could've possibly been avoided had you only come clean."

"What do you mean?"

Kuroshiro opened his folder and pushed a photo towards Ayumu. She looked at the picture, and she gasped to herself as she saw it showed her law office in ruins, only identifiable by the broken sign that usually hung over the door, which laid amongst the debris.

"Around ten thirteen AM," the Japanese officer began, "your workplace was found destroyed, clearly the work of a bomb blast. Everyone inside was found dead, killed by the explosion. The only one that survived the blast was found dead near the site, a gunshot wound to the head. What's most troubling about this incident is that no one saw the explosion."

The former Akasha Bloodriver looked to him in disbelief. "No one saw it? That's not possible, how can you miss an explosion?"

"You tell us," Mason interjected.

Ayumu cringed in response. She wasn't certain if he knew of her true nature, or if he'd simply asked the question without any prior knowledge. Either way it put her in a very difficult position. The last thing she wanted for the exposure of her kind to the human world.

"I can't answer that either," the staunch officer spoke up. "The office looked completely normal before that time, and then it was seen in this state," he explained, as he pointed to the photo.

The legal defender suppressed a grimace, as her eyes remained on the photo, and remembered the faces of all her employees who'd lost their lives in her absence. She couldn't help but feel guilty at their loss, which brought back memories of the aftermath of Moka's seventh birthday, when she feared both her daughters were dead.

"I'm afraid it doesn't stop there," Kuroshiro's voice spoke up.

Ayumu gasped to herself, and soon found another photo brought before her. Her eyes went wide as she saw a picture of her house in ruins, and she covered her open mouth with her free hand.

"This was taken today at around ten twenty AM, with the same traits. No evidence of an explosion until after the fact, and the lone person on the premises found dead, with a gunshot wound to the head."

The pink-haired woman looked sadly at the photo of her ruined house, which again happened in her absence. "_A barrier,_" she thought to herself, "_that's how they hid the explosion._" She placed the photo back in the folder, and her hand clenched tightly into a fist. Inwardly, she struggled to prevent her youki from inadvertently manifesting at that juncture. "Who did this," she asked in a low, deadly voice.

"No one's taken credit for the attacks," Kuroshiro explained, "but needless to say the incidents are too similar to be deemed coincidental, and most likely done by the same group." A deep sigh escaped him, as he intertwined his fingers together. "Ayumu-san, please, if you have any idea about who might've perpetrated these events, tell us. We have to stop these- fiends, before they strike again!"

"It's not your problem," the incognito countess replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Once I find them, I'll deal with them personally."

"Unacceptable!" the Japanese officer retorted sharply as he rose from his chair. "This is too dangerous of a matter to be left to a private citizen! Ayumu-san, you are beginning to try my patience. Either you start cooperating with us," he spoke threateningly, as he laid his hands on the table and leaned forward, "or you'll be arrested on charges of obstructing justice."

"You don't know who you're dealing with," the pink-haired woman replied defiantly. "I can walk out of this station right now and _neither_ of you would be able to stop me!"

"Whoa Nellie," the Texan interjected as he leaned back slightly, "I feel like I'm dealin' with her again."

"Dealing with who," the disguised vampire asked with a piercing look.

"You already know," Kuroshiro spoke up, as he pushed another photo across the table.

Ayumu looked at the photo, and scowled as she saw a mug shot of her older daughter, who looked just like as she did when they met at the academy, sans the bandanna and sunglasses. She noted Pfaria had cut her hair, but took no further care of it, which disturbed her even more. "_So now you have a record on top of everything else,_" she asked mentally, "_how badly are you trying to embarrass me? I trusted you with my legacy and __**this**__ is how you repay me,_" she bitterly thought as she glared at the photo.

"That's a picture of Farrah Stewartson," the Japanese policeman continued, "a small-time business owner. She owns the Stewartson Service Station in Houston, Texas, as well as the Shwartz-Stahl brewery in Hamburg, Germany. And, as you already know, she's the only suspect in the Azinu Elementary School and Velvet Moon nightclub massacres."

The incognito countess was genuinely surprised, as well as suspicious that her daughter had gained ownership over the brewery where her first love worked. "_I wonder,_" she thought to herself, "_was it her?_"

"That's what I can rightly figure out," Mason interjected. "The only reason she's a suspect is because her car was seen fleeing the scene both times, and disappeared into that there tunnel where Masato's boys found ya." He leaned forward towards Ayumu. "How does that clunker of hers gets from Houston to Tokyo and back? It should've fallen apart years ago yet it somehow gets across oceans without bein' seen? Care to explain that one, little lady?"

"Why don't you try asking her instead of wasting my time," Ayumu asked tartly.

"Wish we could, she done disappeared a couple days back. Since then, her garage, her house, even her favorite hang-out spot got blown up. Just about everyone who knew her back home is dead. And just like over here, no one saw it happen."

The legal defender looked to him in disbelief. Her gaze became downcast, as her eyes went wide in shock. "_They attacked her too,_" she mentally asked herself, as she temporarily forgot her misgivings about her errant daughter. She knew if the culprit was a vampire hunter, they would've simply targeted her directly. The carnage and destruction told her the person in question wasn't satisfied with just killing them, they wanted to destroy them completely, along with everything and everyone connected to them. Her sorrow soon gave way to anger, as one particular individual came to mind. "_Gyokuro._"

"Ayumu-san," Kuroshiro's voice spoke up, "are you alright?"

She grit her teeth together, as she remembered they'd been watching her the whole time. She was aware that the facts were against her, though she didn't want to see them involved in her affairs, lest they'd have lost their lives in the pursuit of justice. "I'm fine," she spoke dismissively. "Now, you were saying?"

"As I was sayin'," the Texan continued, as he lowered his gaze somewhat, and peered at her from beneath the brim of his hat, "she also has real problems with authority figures and all. Got herself quite a record, not counting what she's done here. And," he continued, as he pushed a document from his folder towards her, "she don't drink water, neither."

The pink-haired woman repressed a growl, as she realized her inquirer was rapidly making the connections between her and her errant daughter. She glanced at the document, and noticed it was a listing of Pfaria's criminal offenses. Most of them involved drunk driving, disorderly conduct, and a couple of cases of assault and battery. She noted one offense in particular was crossed off for some unknown reason, though she could've made out the word "Representative," within the scribble. "What's this," she asked intently, as she showed the document and pointed to the item in question.

"Ah yes, that one," Mason replied, "it's an incident concerning Miss Stewartson and a U.S. Congressman."

"An elected official," Ayumu asked in a threatening voice.

"Yep," the more causal officer replied, as he presented another photo from his folder, which displayed a dour-looking man with hair the color of blood, dressed in a night black suit with a tie that matched his hair. "His name's Benjamin Hardy, a Representative of North Carolina, real piece of work, can't ya tell?"

"Get to the point," the incognito countess spoke irritably.

"Fine, he personally operated an attraction at the Charlotte County Fair, a 'Knock My Block Off,' contest."

"A what," the former Akasha Bloodriver asked with an incredulous look.

"Just as I said. He's such a loudmouth, most of his own state can't stand him. So he set up this little contest, twenty bucks for one shot at the guy. The rules were simple, whoever could knock him out took home the pot."

"An elected official did this," Ayumu asked with a chagrined look. "I thought they were more, mature than that."

"Sure did. Anyway, forty-nine guys took a swing at him, none of 'em could've took 'em down. Hecht, a couple of 'em said later on they hurt their hand when they slugged him. Anyway, next person up was Miss Stewartson. She unloaded with a big right hand, knocked him off the stage and into the attraction across the way. His boys didn't really like that, so they came after her. She laid them all out, took the prize and went home."

The pink-haired woman slammed her hands on the table, and instantly rose to her feet. "She assaulted an elected official!" she demanded at the top of her lungs, "That idiot, I'm going to kill her!" Her rage soon gave way to chagrin, as she realized what she'd just spoken, and in front of two policemen, no less.

"You're going to what," Kuroshiro asked with an unamused look as he rose to his feet. "You're already in trouble for obstructing justice, and possibly aiding and abetting a fugitive. You really want to add intent to murder to all that?" He tightened his lips as he regarded her, and didn't wait for a response. "You're walking on thin ice, Ayumu-san. If word of this leaks to the paparazzi, or your less than ethical rivals in the legal community, your career as a lawyer would be over. Your reputation in the community would be ruined, do you really want that?"

The incognito countess hissed to herself, as she silently cursed her careless tongue. She knew all of the charges could've easily been substantiated, which would've jeopardized her career, not to mention her whole life in the human world. It was then that the words of her eldest daughter came back to her. "_One day you'll be exposed for who you really are. Whatever will you do then?_"

The pink-haired woman growled to herself, and clenched her fists by her sides. "Enough of this," she spoke irritably, "I'll handle this on my own. Stay out of this, Kuroshiro," she continued as she turned towards the door, "you'll just be in my way."

"Hold it right there!" the dark-haired officer demanded. "One more step and you're under arrest!"

Ayumu ignored his orders, but stopped when she heard the sound of a gun being cocked. She slowly looked over her shoulder, and saw Mason on his feet, an old-style six-shooter in his hand, which was aimed right at her.

"I don't think you heard the man," the Texan officer spoke in a deadly serious voice, "he told ya to stay where y'are." He came from around the table and stopped five feet from her. "You're a real piece of work, ya know that? Just like the little missy. Ya got the same hair, same eyes, same face, same scowl, same disrespect for the law. The way ya blew up back there, ya'd think that was yer little girl or somethin', wouldn't ya?"

The pink-haired woman bared her teeth, as the officer before her was too close to the truth for her tastes. Her fists shook by her sides, as the temptation to release her seal and unload on the overly perceptive policeman grew within her.

"Now you jus' sit yerself back down there," the older man spoke threateningly as he pointed to the chair Ayumu once occupied. "Otherwise, I'll jus' pop you one right now. Wouldn't be the first time I had t' shoot a lawyer."

"Mason, stop!" the Japanese officer commanded, as his hand went to his own gun inside his coat pocket. "This is not how we do things here!"

The pink-haired woman ignored him, and stared coldly at the armed man before her. "Take your best shot," she spoke in a low, defiant voice, "cowboy."

Before wither could've acted, the door burst open and an anxious-looking secretary came into the room. "[Kuroshiro-sama!]" she spoke in between nervous breaths.

The lieutenant took his hand out of his coat and turned to his subordinate. "[What is it,]" he asked in his native Japanese.

"[Kuroshiro-sama, agents from the government just arrived at the station.]"

"[What, why are government agents here?]"

"[They wouldn't say, they've already gone to see Taichou.]"

Before the dark-haired man could've inquired further, a man in a full black suit, along with matching hat and sunglasses came into the room, which prompted the underling to wait outside. Ayumu closely watched the man, as she felt a very disturbing aura about him. She inhaled briefly, and scowled as she realized his scent wasn't human.

"What's going on here," Mason asked his associate, both unable to understand Japanese and surprised by the visitor.

"I'm, not sure," the usually stern man spoke uncertainly.

"[Lieutent Kuroshiro,]" the newcomer began, and held up his badge, "[Agent Ishimaru of Section FT-7. We've come for Ayumu Akashiya.]"

"[Wait a minute,]" the younger of the two officers protested, "[how did you know she was here?]"

"[That's on a need-to-know basis. We've already talked to your superior, and he's agreed to turn over the investigation, the gathered evidence, and the suspect to us.]"

"[That can't be! Taichou would never relinquish one of my investigations! Definitely not without telling me!]"

The mustached policeman was completely at a loss, but Ayumu understood every word, and knew Kuroshiro had every right to be suspicious.

"[Sorry, this matter is no longer under your jurisdiction,]" the agent replied, and turned to the pink-haired woman. "[Come with us,]" he spoke to the lawyer as he reached for her right arm.

"No." She immediately elbowed him hard in the ribs, then followed up with a devastating reverse roundhouse kick that sent him through the wall, and into the hall outside, which prompted screams from onlookers.

"Alright, that's it!" Mason snapped, as he aimed his gun at the suddenly violent woman. But before he could've pulled the trigger, the incognito countess knocked the gun out of his hand, then nailed him in the chest with a side kick that sent him into the far wall.

"What are you doing!" the Japanese man demanded of her as he reached for his gun.

"Don't be fooled, Kuroshiro, they're not government agents!"

Suddenly, a warm of black-clad men began to enter the room, both through the door and the newly-created opening in the wall. The supposed lawyer discarded her human behavior, and brought her vampire demeanor to the forefront. She unloaded a front kick to the first disguised youkai, which sent him sprawling back into his brethren. Another approached from her left, and she elbow him hard in the gut, grabbed the back of his head with both hands, brought it down and drove her knee hard into his face, which resulted in a broken nose and the loss of many teeth. The stricken youkai quickly fell to the floor. A third supposed agent suddenly approached from her right, and she stopped his advance with a short side kick, grabbed him by the tie, lifted him off his feet and then slammed him onto the table, which unsurprisingly broke in half from the tremendous impact.

Off to the side, Mason groaned as he held his ribs, amazed that none of them were broken. He looked on and watched as the lawyer continued to fight against the black-clad men, while Kuroshiro stood far away, a confused look on his hard face. Though he seemed at a loss, the Texan looked at the situation and saw the pink-haired woman as a violent criminal who was resisting arrest. He looked off to the side, and saw his prized sidearm, Bessie, on the floor. He quickly dropped to his hands and knees, and crawled over to his weapon. He was halfway there when a flying agent almost landed on him, which forced him against the wall. He quickly recovered, crawled over and grabbed hold of his gun. He looked up from his vantage point, and watched as Ayumu nailed another agent with a rising kick that actually sent him through the ceiling. She then spun around and unleashed a powerful reverse back kick, which sent a black-clad man towards Mason. He deftly leaned to the side to avoid the flying body, took his gun in both hands, stood up and shot the lawyer right in the chest. He watched as the hostile woman was knocked off her feet and landed hard on the floor.

Kuroshiro looked on in open-mouthed shock, thunderstruck that the pink-haired woman was shot down. "Ayumu!" he cried out, then turned to the foreign man. "What have you done, Mason!"

"She was assaultin' federal agents!" the Texan shouted defensively. "Where I come from you do that it's the electric chair!"

The dark-haired man was speechless at what his cohort had wrought. As he looked about the room, he noticed the supposed agents had ceased their entry. He looked towards the opening in the wall, and saw two more black-clad man standing just outside.

"[Target is down,]" the first man spoke crisply, "[secure the area.]"

"[Right!]" his comrade replied in acknowledgment, and stretched forth his hands. Kuroshiro inhaled sharply as he saw his hands actually glowing. A few moments later, a large translucent dome appeared inside the interrogation room.

"What in tarnation," Mason asked, confused by the phenomenon.

The Japanese officer went to dome perimeter, and stretched his hand out. He found it stopped when he touched the interior surface of the dome. He pushed on it with his hand, but to no avail. He then pushed with all his might using both hands, but again he made no headway. He straightened himself up, and looked to the newly created entrapment. "Is this, a forcefield," he asked with a fearful look. "That can't be, they don't exist in the real world."

"Hello, foolish mortals," a sinister voice spoke over the loudspeaker, which was broadcast throughout the entire station, "this is your God."

"Say what," the cowboy spoke with an aghast look, "what sorta cotton pickin' nonsense is this?"

Kuroshiro was genuinely startled as he turned to his comrade. "You understood that," he asked.

"Sure did, we got ourselves a freakin' loony here."

The younger officer looked puzzled, as he swore he heard the broadcast in Japanese. And he was sure Mason knew nothing of the language, yet he understood it clearly, which most likely meant he heard it in English. Kuroshiro couldn't conceal his shock, as he began to fear Ayumu was correct. As he looked towards the floor, he realized her body was missing. "What the," he asked himself, "where'd she go?"

"You foolish creatures have associated with the traitor Ayumu Akashiya," the foreboding voice continued, which sounded male. "Your transgressions displease God."

"Get over yourself!" the American detective shot back. "Why don't you stop this nonsense and come out where we can see ya, Mister _God,_" he concluded with scathing sarcasm.

"You shall come to regret those words," the unseen entity continued, "as will all who attempt to coexist with the youkai world."

"Say what," Mason asked with a confused expression.

"Coexistence is a blasphemy unto mineself, and I have come to pass judgment upon you infidels. Here now the voice of God, and die."

An inhuman shriek echoed throughout the room, as well as the rest of the station. Both men screamed in pain as they desperately plugged their ears, as the demonic scream seemed to tear at their entire beings. Kuroshiro fell to his knees, and then felt a second set of hands on his ears as everything went black.

* * *

Shuzen looked about him, and saw nothing but desolation. His castle was but a ruined husk before him, only a few broken walls serving as the solitary pieces of evidence that a grand palace had once stood in that location. A cold wind of death swept through the area, which created a driving dustcloud. The ominous moon hung solemnly in the blood-colored sky above, as black clouds began to move in above at a slow, nerve wracking rate.

"What happened here," he asked, shocked by the devastation before him. As he looked about the ruins, he saw several lifeless forms on the ground, all very familiar to him. "No!" he declared in denial, as he looked at the corpse of his eldest child. "Pfaria." He then noticed the dead body of a tanned woman with blood-caked blonde hair. "Kahlua." Just beyond them was a silver-haired young woman, her heart gouged out and her neck at an unnatural angle. "Moka!" Holding the hand of the third eldest was a younger girl with orange hair, and tears on her lifeless face. "Kokoa!" Right neat his feet was a corpse of a silver-haired goddess, her divine form all but torn to shreds. "Akasha!" Next to her lied the body of a seductive yet still dead woman, her crimson hair sprawled around her pale head. "Gyokuro!"

The Third Dark Lord was mortified by the scene before, unable to conceal his horror. "What happened here? _**WHO DID THIS!**_" he screamed to the skies.

"**It was you,**" a strange yet also familiar female voice spoke from nearby, "**you brought about this calamity.**"

Shuzen spun around, and saw a clearly feminine figure, concealed by a shadowy aura. "_**YOU!**_" he screamed in demonic rage. "How **dare** you torment me again!"

"**You are the cause of your own torment,**" the mysterious figure spoke in her dual voice. "**Though you proclaim you love your family, you yourself have brought about all the misfortune that has befallen it.**"

"**Silence!**" the silver-haired noble napped heatedly. "I will not tolerate your constant interference and slander against me and my divine name! I was born to rule this wretched world! And I shall crush anyone who **dares** oppose me!"

"**Just as you attempted to do to the succubi three centuries past,**" the unidentified woman asked pointedly. "**Do not forget, you were the loser of that contest. Perchance we meet again the results will be no different, Lucien.**"

"Do not delude yourself!" Shuzen shot back. "The only reason you barely managed to defeat me was because I lacked my full power! But once I restore it, no force in the _**UNIVERSE**_ will be able to stand against me! I shall reign for all time, as my father did before me!"

"**Foolish man, your obsessions and vendettas will be your undoing, as well as that of your kin. No child will forever tolerate a parent who cares not for their well-being. Should your kin find no solace in your care, they shall merely find another to replace you.**"

"Silence! They wouldn't **dare** betray me! They know in their hearts that I am the **only** one who can protect them from this merciless, unrepentant world! No one else can protect them except me!"

"**Tread carefully, Lucien, lest you drive them to him.**"

Shuzen cringed in fear, as he sensed a familiar and repulsive presence nearby. He looked to his right, and saw the disgusting form of hated enemy, as sickening and as falsely imperious as ever. What incensed him even further was that he saw all his children around him, fawning over the foul usurper.

"Oh great Dracula-sama," Kokoa began in a dreamy voice as she ran her hand down his front, "thine magnificence is unparalleled in all the youkai worlds."

"We thank thee for the honor of thine presence," Kahlua added with a contented smile as she leaned against his left arm. "Our future is secure under your watchful eye."

"We are yours to command," Moka spoke in a lustful voice as she pressed against his torso, and reared her head back in unholy delight, her eyes glowing a malevolent shade of red. "Take us, and we shall give birth to an era of eternal darkness!"

"There is no other like thee, O mighty Count Dracula," Pfaria spoke with a look of sheer bliss as she pressed her full-figured body against his back. "The old man can't even hope to hold a candle to you."

Shuzen screamed in satanic rage, his full youki crackling around him in a massive cyan aura. He concentrated all of his power into one huge sphere, and hurled it at his vile nemesis. A titanic explosion of unholy energy erupted which consumed everything.

* * *

Shuzen awoke with a start, shaken by what he'd witnessed in his dreams. He found himself in his private study, in his usual chair, his great cloak on a hanger near the door. He looked down to his desk, and saw the opened tome he'd been reading earlier. He growled to himself, incensed that he'd somehow fallen asleep reading a book, and even more so at the shrouded woman in his dreams, as well as her insidious implication that his family would've even considered leaving his tender care and seeking eternal enslavement under his abominable nemesis.

"How dare you," he growled at the mysterious figure that wasn't present. "How dare you make _me_ afraid. How _dare_ you assail me with these **lies!** My family loves me, and they know I love them. I shall protect them as I always have! Nothing will ever change that!" He exhaled heavily with a frustrated growl, closed the book before him and put it aside, his interest in the tome lost due to his twisted vision. "I won't let anything threaten my children again," he insisted, as he solemnly bowed his head. "Never again. One day, they will see."

* * *

Ruby groaned as she stirred in her sleep, as the last rays of twilight faded from the horizon outside the window of Moka's room, and soon gave way to the evening. Her face winced in pain, as her free hand went to her taped ribs. A few moments later, her body relaxed from its spasm, and her eyes slowly opened. She blinked a few times, and wondered if she was still alive. Her somewhat pained breathing answered her question, and she slowly took in her darkened surroundings. The only source of light in the room was an ancient lamp, which sat on a table, directly in her line of sight. She looked down, and found herself in a long bathrobe, rather than her usual corset. She also found her right arm in a sling and splint. She winced in pain again as she tried to move her right hand, but her wrist screamed in protest. She quickly surmised it was broken, though she was still puzzled over how it occurred. "What happened," she asked herself in confusion.

"Ah, you're finally awake," a female voice spoke from nearby.

Ruby emitted a startled gasp, as she hadn't sensed anyone in the room. Then again, she noted her mind was still somewhat in a fog, so she realized her perceptive abilities weren't at peak condition. She looked ahead, and saw a female figure by the table, and watched as she picked up the burning lamp with one hand, and the chair by the nightstand in the other. Her pinkish violet eyes watched as the strange woman made her way towards her bedside. In the lamp's light she could've made out the woman wore a golden tiara atop her head of curly blonde hair, which ran well past her shoulders. She wore a regal silver gown with a somewhat low cut, and matching gloves on her slender arms. Though her attire was unfamiliar, Ruby quickly recognized the woman's tanned face. "Shuzen-san," the female witch spoke in a low, soft voice.

The princess gave her a warm smile in response, though there was a grave expression in her reddish eyes. "How are you feeling, Toujyou-san," she asked pleasantly.

The dark-haired woman groaned in response, somewhat relieved by her presence. "I've been better," she conceded as she held her left hand over her forehead, "but I'll recover, witches have very powerful self-regeneration."

The second-born of the Third Dark Lord closed her eyes, and gave her a relieved grin. "I'm glad to hear that. And please," she continued, as she opened her eyes and motioned to herself, "call me Kahlua."

Mikogami's assistant gave her a weak smile. "Certainly, and you can call me, Ruby-san."

The blonde woman nodded in response, but then her expression grew more serious. "Ruby-san, we have a situation."

The witch gasped to herself, and watched as the vampiric princess placed her chair near the bedside, and sat herself down, as she rested the lamp on her left knee. "His Lordship," the regal demoness began hesitantly, "has decreed that Moka-chan shall remain here, indefinitely."

"What," the dark-haired woman asked as she slightly sat herself up, "no! That's not what Moka-san wants!" She winced as the pain in her ribs flared up again, and lied back down. "We were supposed to leave together, to pursue Colton and his men."

Kahlua sighed to herself, and ruefully shook her head. "I'm afraid Lord Shuzen has forbade it. Moreover," she continued with a grave look, "she will not be returning to Youkai Academy next year. He has deemed the school unsafe for his daughter's well being, so he's effectively removed her from the academy roster. He'll handle the rest of her education from here on in."

"No, he can't," Ruby protested as she sat back up, despite the pain of her injured ribs.

"Please, lie back down," the daiyoukai spoke worriedly and tried to push her back onto the bed, but the witch took hold of her wrist with her uninjured hand.

"Tell me," the dark-haired woman spoke with an accusing look, "is this why he summoned her here? Did he have this planned once Moka was brought into his custody?"

The second-born daughter of Issa Shuzen sighed deeply, and slowly closed her eyes. "Either way, it makes no difference," she replied in a resigned voice. "Once His Lordship makes a decree, it is never unmade. His word, is law."

Ruby gave her an incredulous look, though she heard no sense of satisfaction in Kahlua's proclamation. "And that's alright with you," she asked, a mild sense of desperation in her voice.

"It's not my place to question His Lordship," the blonde woman replied with a rueful shake of her head, "only to obey him. All such decisions are made by him, and him alone. He has never relied on consensus."

With a mournful sigh, she arose from her chair, as she held her lamp with both hands. "Your friends had the same suspicions, didn't they?"

The still-recovering witch tensed in response, as her eyes widened and her plucked eyebrows were tightly knit together. "What's happened to them," she asked intently, incensed at thought of her friends being harmed, especially Yukari.

Kahlua's lips tightened and she slightly furrowed her brow, clearly uncomfortable with her current position. "They came to protest Lord Shuzen's decision," she explained, as she solemnly closed her eyes. "But as I said before, he does not honor consensus. He was also very displeased that they'd invaded his inner sanctum." She opened her eyes again, and Ruby could've seen the great burden in her soul behind them. "They're being held in the dungeon, awaiting His Lordship's judgment tomorrow. Considering he usually kills any uninvited guests just for nearing his abode, I can't say I fancy their chances," she remarked sadly as she looked away. "Especially now with Mikogami gone."

Ruby gasped to herself, as her eyes widened in horror. "He knows."

"Yes, he knows," the vampiric princess replied as she looked back to her. "So if you wish to save your friends, now's your chance. Lord Shuzen has retired for the evening, if you and your friends escape now, he will not follow you." She leaned forward and hovered over the dark-haired woman. "But after that, you must never come back," she continued, as tears streamed down her face. "He nearly killed them for breaking into his throne room, next time he won't be so merciful."

The dark-haired woman grimaced, as she loathed her current situation. Bitter tears ran from her eyes, as she pondered the fate of her friends. "So you're telling me to just abandon Moka," she asked accusingly. "Are you and Lord Shuzen really going to just ignore what's happening here?"

"He's not ignoring the situation," the blonde woman hastily replied, "he simply doesn't want his daughter involved any longer. Trust me, the last thing he wants is to see his precious Moka-chan harmed."

"She's not going to forgive you or your father for this," Ruby spoke warningly. "Trust me, she doesn't tolerate anyone standing between her and her friends."

Kahlua winced in response, and the witch realized she understood her meaning perfectly. She stood solemnly for several seconds, as a bitter sigh escaped her. "I'm sorry," she finally said in a quiet voice. "But as I said before, it's not my place to question His Lordship." She leaned over the bed, and gently placed her hand on the administrative assistant's left shoulder. "Please, come with me."

The dark-haired woman sat up slightly, and soon felt herself supported by the princess' arm. She removed the covers with her free hand, and slid her legs out onto the side of the bed. Her body was still incredibly sore from her battle with Moka, and was definitely glad for the assistance. The blonde woman helped her to her feet, with no sense of exertion on her part. Ruby felt herself guided towards Moka's bureau, which she found quite confused as she was certain they were supposedly headed for the dungeon.

"One last thing," the daiyoukai spoke up, as she placed the lamp atop the bureau. She then reached out with her free hand and opened the top drawer. She reached inside and pulled out a coiled leather whip.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she saw the weapon in her hand. "_Oh no!_" she thought worriedly to herself, as she desperately hoped Kahlua didn't know its true nature.

"You wouldn't have been teaching Moka-chan any bad habits," the regal demoness asked with a stern look, "would you?"

The dark-haired woman cringed in response, still unsure about whether she knew about the Vampire Killer. But Ruby knew Shuzen definitely did, and would've assuredly exploded had he ever discovered its presence in his castle, not to mention she found herself increasingly certain it was the reason behind her condition. She recalled the last thing she felt before passing out was the release of Shuzen's colossal youki from his throne room, coupled with a rage that was clearly not her own. "_That must be it,_" she thought to herself, "_the whip, it possessed me. I had no idea it was sentient._"

It was then that she was reminded of the princess' hard gaze. She knew she couldn't have avoided the question forever, and was rather astonished by her accuser's restraint, since most vampires were known to have notoriously bad tempers, as demonstrated by Inner Moka, Kokoa, Pfaria, and even Lord Shuzen himself. She sighed deeply, and then looked to the blonde woman. "No, Shuzen-san," she finally replied. "Moka-san has, no interest in such activities. None of her friends do."

She looked on as her accuser's stare didn't falter for several seconds. She then watched as Kahlua placed the whip in her personal possession, which Ruby interpreted as a sign that she didn't fully trust her. "Shuzen-san," she spoke apologetically.

"That's quite enough," the regally-dressed youkai interrupted. "Come."

* * *

Kahlua led Ruby through the winding passages of the castle. All the while, no words had passed between them. The dark-haired woman surmised her guide might've suspected her for whatever happened in Moka's room, but had said nothing on the subject, which worried her.

After a few minutes, they reached the stairwell with a particularly ominous aura emanating from below. They descended the stairwell together, and the witch soon found herself in the castle dungeon, barely illuminated by a few crude torches that sporadically lined the walls. The cells were similarly designed to the holding chambers found in both the underground PSC dungeon, and the one which held the survivors of the Dark Judgment. An intense feeling of solemness hung in the air, and weighed heavily against the oldest of the group, though the area was in much better condition than the facility she and her friends had explored the other day.

The regal youkai led the way down to the far end of the corridor. The further they went, the more Ruby sensed a familiar aura in their direction, which was soon joined by more. They turned the corner, and went down twenty more feet until they stopped by the only occupied cell, which held four familiar girls inside, all lying on the floor. She immediately came close to the bars and grabbed hold of them with her uninjured hand, as her eyes locked onto the youngest of the four. "Yukari-chan!" she cried out.

The child prodigy groaned weakly, and managed to sit up. She looked towards the bars, and her face immediately brightened. "Ruby-san!" she declared happily, as she forced herself up and ran to the bars. "Ruby-san, you came! Thank goodness you're alright."

The dark-haired woman noted the pained expression on the younger girl's face, and noticed a few nasty burns on her exposed arms. Her attire was also damaged, and her stockings were torn in a couple of places. Though she was hardly in optimal shape, she was at least conscious, and moving on her own. The others hadn't yet stirred, with Kurumu clearly in the worst condition, as she laid almost lifelessly next to Mizore.

"Oh, Yukari-chan," the older witch spoke gratefully. Before she could've elaborated further, she heard the cell door being unlocked and opened. She looked beside her, and saw Kahlua stood expectantly as she held it open.

"Ruby-san," the smaller girl asked, a mixture of concern and confusion in her voice.

The dark-haired woman solemnly closed her eyes, and made her way inside the cell. She soon heard it being shut behind her.

"Toujyou-san," the princess' voice spoke from behind.

The older witch turned to face the woman who'd just addressed her.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," the royal vampire mentioned. "Here," she continued, as she reached behind her, and produced the Whip of Belmont, with seemingly no detrimental effects unto herself, which told Ruby she was still unaware of its true nature, much to her relief. "No funny stuff until I get back," she concluded with a wry smile.

The dark-haired woman closed her eyes and tried hard not to chuckle, as she knew the princess had earnestly tried to lighten the mood. "Yes, Shuzen-san," she replied. But as she opened her eyes again, she saw the blonde woman was no longer before her. She gasped to herself, as she realized she hadn't heard her footsteps, or anything that would've signified her departure.

"She's gone," Yukari spoke up, also startled by her sudden disappearance.

At that moment, a pained groan came from behind the child prodigy, followed by another. She turned around, and saw two of her friends had begun to open their eyes. "Mizore-chan! Michiru-san!"

The yuki onna groaned weakly as her hazy blue eyes turned to the younger girl. "Yukari-chan, are you still with us?"

The witch hummed in agreement, even though she was still quite injured after her encounter with the castellan. "I'll be fine, how about you?"

The purple-haired girl grit her teeth together, as another spasm of pain shot through her body. "I'll manage." She then looked around, and saw the newcomer in the cell. "Hey, glad you could join us, Ruby-san. You alright?"

The older witch nodded in response. "For the most part."

Michiru slowly regained her footing, her body still very sore after the vampire lord's attack. "Toujyou-san, what's going on out there?"

Mikogami's assistant sighed to herself as she looked gravely at the former PSC agent. "Kahlua-san informed me that Lord Shuzen has forbade his daughter from traveling with us. Moreover, he's planning to make his judgment on us in the morning. So Kahlua-san is giving us tonight to escape."

"What," the incognito shadow creature replied in surprise, "she's actually defying her lord?"

"And what of Moka-san," Yukari interjected, as she turned to her fellow witch "we can't just leave her behind. We've been through so much together, desu. How will we manage without her?"

"I, I don't know," Ruby replied, as she looked away with an uncertain expression on her face.

A pained groan from the amongst the girls. Everyone turned, and saw the incognito succubus had begun to regain consciousness. "We have to save, Moka," she said weakly, as she struggled to regain her footing.

"Kurumu-san," Yukari spoke worriedly, as she knelt by her side.

"Kurumu-san," Ruby interjected, "you're in no condition to move. Just lie still, we'll help you escape."

"There's no time," the cyan-haired girl replied, her eyes still twitching from her obvious pain. "Shuzen, he's going to erase Moka's memories. We can't let him, do that."

"What!" the older witch exclaimed in shock. "Oh, she didn't tell me about this," she remarked angrily, as her left fist tightened by her side.

"And how are we gonna stop him," Mizore asked her stricken friend. "You know what he did to us last time, you really want to tangle with him again?"

"We must," the wounded succubus insisted, "or we'll never, see her again," she concluded, as tears ran down her violet eyes.

"Kurumu-san," Yukari spoke sadly, both for her friend as well as the possible loss of the brave vampire who'd saved her life the first day they met.

Suddenly, a loud banging sound came from further down the corridor, well out of their line of sight. Mizore's eyes widened, as she instantly recognized it. "That was a gunshot!" she exclaimed, as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"What!" Kurumu exclaimed with a horrified look.

Another gunshot was heard from the same direction.

"What's going on, desu," Yukari asked timidly, fearful because she'd never dealt with guns before.

"Only one way to find out," Ruby replied sternly, as she reached back and produced her wand. She then walked near the bars, and slid her arm between them. "_**OPEN!**_" she shouted, as she waved it across. A clicking sound was heard from the other side, and the door became slightly ajar. She quickly extricated her hand and then pushed the door open. "Come on!"

The small witch quickly turned to the cyan-haired girl. "Kurumu-san, here," she spoke urgently, she she reached into her hat, and pulled out a vaguely familiar bottle. "It's the medicine we found at the dungeon. Come on, drink up."

"Are you sure that's still any good," the incognito succubus asked with a suspicious look.

"Hey, you know what they say, don't knock it until you try it. Don't you want to save Tsukune-san," she finished with a mischievous smile.

"That's dirty pool," the cyan-haired girl grumbled as she snatched the flask from her. She quickly removed the cover, and ingested the contents whole. She gagged in revulsion as she felt like she'd ingested rotten grape juice, with black cherries mixed in. "That was disgusting."

"That was the idea, it encourages you to heal faster, desu."

Kurumu growled at the impudent witch, and drove her knuckles into the top of her head. She then rose under her own power, and headed for the door.

"Wow, that was fast," Mizore remarked.

"I think she's too annoyed to notice her pain," Michiru added with an embarrassed smile, as a sweatdrop ran down the side of her head.

"Good point, let's go."

* * *

The girls made their towards the staircase, slowed down by their lingering injuries. Ruby managed to support her fellow witch, while Mizore and Michiru helped Kurumu. Once they ascended the stairs and exited the dungeon, the purple-haired girl froze in place, and the jewel of her circlet began glowing.

The cyan-haired girl noted she'd stopped, looked over and saw a blank look on her face. "Mizore-chan," she asked in confusion.

"Follow me," the yuki onna spoke in a mysterious voice.

The girls found themselves led to a rather nondescript door down the hall. The entranced youkai opened it, and quickly headed inside, which the others following suit.

They found themselves in a small chamber, with a raised rectangular altar in the center of the room. The smell of blood was prevalent in the room, along with a light scent of smoke. Ruby looked to the left of the altar, and found a familiar figure, lying face down beside it, a small round wound in her back, which continued to bleed. "Oh no! Shuzen-san!" She knelt down by the felled vampire, who hadn't responded to her presence. She gasped to herself, as she quickly discerned what had occurred. "She's been shot!"

Mizore knelt down near her, and rolled the princess onto her back. She found a similar wound in the middle of her chest, and virtually no sign of life from the second-born daughter of Lord Shuzen. "Twice," she commented, though her expression wasn't as shocked as expected, though most knew she never fully expressed her emotions.

"My gosh," Kurumu exclaimed silently, horrified that the royal vampire had come to such a brutal and unexpected end. "Who could've done this?"

At that moment, the door was closed behind them. Everyone spun around, and saw a tall woman in a black leather jacket by the recently closed door, a haughty smile on her pale face and her clearly conceited eyes hidden behind her sunglasses.

"Pfaria-san," Yukari spoke fearfully, as she looked fearfully at the large gun in her right hand.

"You!" her fellow witch demanded of the eldest sister. "What have you done to Kahlua-san!"

"Isn't it obvious," the abrasive youkai responded with a sarcastic smirk, "I've just severed our family ties. I have no use for puppets, so I cut her strings." She raised her gun, and tapped the tip of the barrel against her cheek. "All thanks to Sweet Widdle Maggie," she finished with an inappropriately affectionate smile.

"Maggie," an exasperated Kurumu asked.

"As in .44 caliber Magnum," Mizore explained, trembling at the sight of the lethal weapon.

Pfaria gave them a nasty chuckle. "Not quite, this is the new version," she explained, as she held it horizontally from her body so everyone could've seen the weapon in its entirety, "the .500 model, armed with two and a quarter inch silver bullets, a Big Boomer." A malicious grin crossed her features as she slightly lowered her chin. "All the better to take out a vampire with."

The incognito succubus looked at her nemesis, hate flashing in her violet eyes. "You monster!" she exclaimed angrily.

"You're saying this," the rebellious princess asked with a short chuckle, "you're in no position to judge me. I'm just doing what no one else has the guts to do." Suddenly, her gun arm stretched forth, and the barrel of her weapon was aimed at the older witch, who immediately tensed at being in its sights.

"Ruby-san!" Yukari cried out fearfully.

"Tell me," the pink-haired woman began with a contemptuous sneer, "when did you mooks get a hold of the Vampire Killer?"

"How do you know of that," the dark-haired woman demanded.

"I had that room bugged before you arrived. I heard everything that went on in there," she explained, as she slightly turned her head and tapped her index finger at the small audio receiver in her left ear.

Mikogami's assistant exhaled through clenched teeth as she made the connection. "So that's why you inspected Moka's room, you were making sure your bug was still active."

"Bingo. Now hand it over," the eldest of the four sisters demanded.

The eldest of the group breathed nervously as she regarded her enemy. "You're too late," she spoke hastily, "Kahlua-san confiscated it before we entered the dungeon."

"Nice try, I already searched her corpse, it ain't on her. That means you still have it," she finished with a knowing grin.

"What would you want with the whip of Belmont," Ruby asked with a piercing look.

"You don't need to know, now hand it over!" Pfaria snapped as she aimed fully at the dark-haired woman. "Or would you like me to start using your little friends as target practice," she asked, as she pulled back the hammer of the gun, and aimed in between the other girls. "Which one of you wimps wants to go first?" She looked amongst the throng before her, and then stopped at the youngest of the group. "How about you," she asked coldly, as she aimed her gun at her new target.

The child prodigy cried out frightfully, and his behind her fellow witch.

"Don't you dare hurt Yukari-chan!" Ruby demanded heatedly.

"Or else what, you think you can stop me with that fragile body of yours? Ha! I can take you both out with one shot!"

"She's not bluffing!" Mizore declared in alarm, more than she usually expressed. "That's the most powerful handgun in the world!"

"So what's it gonna be," Pfaria asked of the older witch. "Hand it over, or I blow you away and take it off your corpse!"

The smaller witch cringed as she hid behind her sister in the arcane, frightened of the menacing vampire with her deadly gun. As she fought to become calm again, she recalled a vampire's weaknesses, and soon began to form a plan. "Ruby-san," she whispered urgently, "keep her talking, I have an idea."

The taller woman looked back to her, a concerned expression on her face. "Be careful, Yukari-chan," she whispered back.

"I will." She then turned to the yuki onna, who looked on fearfully at the deadly weapon aimed at them. "Mizore-chan," she whispered urgently as she motioned towards herself, "over here."

The purple-haired girl looked to the younger girl and cautiously moved towards her.

"Stop right there," Pfaria spoke up as she aimed at the moving girl. She then turned to the small witch who was all but completely hidden behind Ruby. "What, you think you'll be safe if you put more bodies between you and me? Ha, go ahead and try, I'll waste the whole lot of you."

"You've got a real attitude problem," Yukari declared, as she held Mizore's hand. "What you need," she continued, as she produced her wand and raised it in the air, "is a cold shower!"

"Huh," the pink-haired woman asked, but then felt the release of their youki. She looked up, and saw a large showerhead suspended in midair, aimed directly at her. Suddenly, a huge deluge of freezing cold water poured out and doused Pfaria, who screamed in pain as she was both electrified and drained of her own youki. The water grew progressively colder, until it began to form ice on her body. Her shoulders soon became encased in ice, followed by her front. It reached down and captured all her limbs, and then finally encased her head as well.

"Yay!" the small witch declared, and she triumphantly raised her wand aloft. "We did it, desu!"

Her purple-haired classmate exhaled a bit heavily, as she'd never attempted such a feat. "I'm amazed it worked."

"Of course it worked," the incognito succubus interjected, as she hugged the both of them. "Oh, you two were great, you put that stupid bimbo on ice."

The shorter girl felt somewhat awkward, as she realized her head was pressed against her classmate's bosom. But she knew her well enough to realize she hadn't taunted her, merely showed her appreciation for her efforts. "Kurumu-san," she spoke softly, and returned the embrace.

Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard from behind them. Yukari turned around, and saw several fissures appeared in the ice that imprisoned Pfaria, and two more formed before her very eyes. "Oh no!" she cried out fearfully.

"You gotta be kidding me!" the voluptuous teenager added in disbelief.

Less than two seconds later, the icy prison exploded in a huge burst of broken fragments, and the pink-haired woman screamed in rage as she was finally freed. All of the girls trembled, as her brooding glare fell upon them, and a low growl escaped her lips. The eldest sister charged forward and nailed Ruby with a hard left cross to the face, which knocked her into the far wall. The impact jarred her already injured body, as she was partially embedded in the wall. Moreover, a coiled leather weapon dropped from her possession after she was struck, and landed on the floor.

"The whip!" Michiru exclaimed, shocked that it had come out into the open.

"No!" Kurumu declared, as she moved and reached for the weapon. Suddenly, a gunshot was fired, followed by the ricochet of the bullet right before her, which made her scamper back fearfully.

Pfaria laughed to herself, pleased that the legendary weapon was finally within her grasp. "At last," she said in satisfaction as she approached the whip, "it's mine!" She reached down with her left hand, but then crackling energy erupted around the weapon, which was far more damaging than the deluge she'd previously endured. She cried out in pain and disbelief and quickly snatched her hand back. She held it close to her body, and found it still stung from trying to grab the whip.

Ruby sensed what had occurred, and quickly extricated herself from the wall. "Now do you understand," she asked boldly of the stricken youkai. "The whip of Belmont is a weapon of holiness and justice, it will never lend its power to a vampire!"

The pink-haired woman screamed in aggravation, and took aim with her gun. The older witch quickly dropped onto her butt as the familiar gunshot was heard. She froze as she actually felt the bullet soar over her, and penetrated into the wall behind her. Pfaria growled in aggravation, and promptly made her escape, slamming the door behind her.

The whole group was stunned for several seconds after what had just occurred. Kurumu was wide-eyed in horror, while Mizore stared at the closed door, an unreadable expression on her pale face. Ruby still found herself frozen, not just from how close she'd come to death, but from her impact, which jarred her still injured ribs. When the witch finally got up, she found the bullet embedded in the wall, right where her head had been but moments earlier.

"Ruby-san!" the youngest of the group cried out, and grabbed onto her good arm as she came to her side. "Ruby-san, are you alright?"

The older witch groaned in response, and managed to give her a pained smile. "I'll be fine, Yukari-chan."

The child prodigy made a face as she looked off to the side. "I'm sorry, Ruby-san, I really thought my plan would've worked."

The dark-haired woman noted her disappointment, but soothingly rubbed her shoulder. "It's alright, we're still here, together."

"But we can't stay here," Michiru spoke up, "there's a violent criminal on the loose with a vampire-killing weapon in hand. She has to be stopped."

A horrifying thought came to the administrative assistant, as she turned to her newly made friend. "You don't think-"

"Would it really surprise you? Either way we can't take any chances."

Yukari looked to them in temporary confusion, then recalled what happened in the throne room and realized whom they meant. "You're right, she hates him. She thinks he killed Moka-san," she continued with a sad look, as she recalled how she'd saved her from Shuzen's wrath, "she, doesn't seem to know that Moka-san was sealed, not killed."

The incognito shadow creature frowned as she regarded her peer's words. "So she does have a motive," she remarked analytically, "that simplifies matters."

"And how are we supposed to stop her," Kurumu interjected bitterly. "That water attack only seemed to make her angry. How are we supposed to even find her? She was right here in this room and I couldn't sense her aura."

"It doesn't matter," the yuki onna replied in a mysterious, far off voice, as her eyes never left the door, "she can conceal her aura, but she cannot hide from her fate. None of them can."

The undercover agent immediately came to her side. "Mizore-san, are you saying you can sense her even though we can't?"

"Yes, follow me." She headed for the door, opened it, and made her way outside.

Before the incognito succubus could've reacted, she watched as the former PSC agent quickly followed close behind. "Oh great," the cyan-haired girl muttered, "she's getting weird on us again." She shook her head dismissively and followed her friend's lead. "Whatever, Mizore-chan, do what you do best and stalk that ugly sow." She then departed the room.

Ruby and Yukari also made their departure, but not before the younger witch picked up the Vampire Killer and gave it back to her close friend. They hurriedly left the room and closed the door behind them, as they pursued their hostile enemy.

* * *

Holy smokes, talk about a breakdown of the family unit! Will the girls be able to stop Pfaria before she kills again? Will Shuzen's nightmare become a terrifying reality? And will anyone in Lieutenant Kuroshiro's precinct survive the judgment of the self-proclaimed God?

"Oh my head, I'm sort of glad I'm not here."

"Aw, but Tsukune-san, you were supposed to fly in and waste the old man! Stupid Author-san shouldn't have edited that part out, desu."

"Um, are you _sure_ that was actually part of the script?"

"Of course, would I lie, desu?"

"You've done worse."

I second that. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter VII In the Name of Love

And just for reference sake, "taichou" = captain.


	10. Part II Chapter VII

A/N Hello everyone, hope you're all enjoying your new year.

"I'm definitely going to enjoy Tsukune's new look, hope he enjoys mine."

"_Omote! Stop that nonsense right now! And put away that zanpakuto, I'm not gonna let you embarrass me anymore!_"

"Aw, you're no fun, Ura-chan. You could always get your own, then we can have fun together."

"_ARGH! Author, you are so dead._"

Yeah, anyway, as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter VII  
In the Name of Love

Tsukune continued to fall, even after his battle against the three warriors had ended. The entire landscape had been devastated from the battle, even the sky had shattered, which left him falling into a deep abyss of seemingly limitless darkness, the only semblance of light high above him. Though he slowly drifted father away from it, until it almost became like a small star in the sky, and then disappeared.

"What is this," he asked himself, as he looked about the emptiness that surrounded him. "Where am I? What, happened to the others? To, Moka-san?"

"You already know, Tsukune," a cold girl's voice spoke from within the darkness, "you're the one who made it happen."

The brown-haired youth gasped, which echoed endlessly within the void. "Who said that," he asked nervously, as the voice almost sounded familiar and yet unfamiliar as well. "Who's there?"

A few moments later, he found his descent had stopped, and the darkness vanished, replaced by a scene of pure destruction. He found himself standing in a darkened hallway, which he recognized from before. It was the path to Mikogami's office back at the academy, but the actual chamber had been completely destroyed, a few broken and burned boards serving as the only evidence that the room had actually existed.

Near the burnt end of the corridor lied the bodies of his close friends, all with hideous gashes on their still forms, a scene that was becoming far too common for his tastes. He clenched his fist tightly, and growled in anger at the scene before him. "This isn't possible," he spoke to himself, "I came to save them!"

"Yes," the same voice from before replied without any warmth, "that's exactly what Colton wanted you to do."

Tsukune spun around in the direction of the voice, and heard the sound of soft leather shoes echoing off the corridor floor. After a few moments, the form of a sixteen-year-old girl stepped from the shadows, clad in the traditional academy uniform. Her long pink hair ran down just past the hem of her overly short skirt, and framed her heart-shaped face. However, the hard look in her jade eyes and her tightly drawn lips were completely uncharacteristic from the girl he knew so well. "Moka-san," he inquired of the newcomer, concerned by her cold, unfamiliar demeanor.

The pink-haired girl said nothing as she stopped ten feet from him, and folded her arms under her chest.

"Moka-san, what's wrong?"

"I told you," the newcomer replied in the same cold voice, "you made this all happen."

The brown-haired youth shook his head at what he'd just heard. "That's not true!" he shot back defensively. "It was Colton who did that, but I-I defeated him!"

"You nearly blew up the whole academy building!" Moka heatedly retorted. "Which would've killed everyone regardless! And then you wonder why I'm so upset," she finished pointedly as she leaned slightly towards him. "Since when did you regard our powers so casually? They're not toys, Tsukune, they can cause terrible destruction if misused, like _you_ did that night."

"I didn't have a choice!" the former academy student shot back. "Colton had to be stopped! He would've destroyed everything!"

"He didn't have to, you did it for him, just as he planned."

Tsukune looked at her in disbelief, shocked by her words. It definitely hadn't occurred to him that the results of the battle were exactly what Colton desired, even though he was supposedly defeated. After a moment, he growled through clenched teeth and roughly shook his head. "It doesn't matter!" he finally replied. "I'm _still_ going to destroy him, and then I'll destroy Dracula! Then _no one_ will ever threaten us again!"

"Idiot, you nearly killed all our friends!" Moka snapped angrily as she got right in his face. "You nearly killed **me!** Are you saying _my_ life doesn't matter? _**ARE YOU?**_" she shouted, as her eyes flashed red.

The former academy student inhaled nervously, as he'd never seen her so enraged with him in her human form. "That's not true," he replied hastily, "Moka-san, I'd never do anything to hurt you!"

The sealed vampire's ire didn't wane, and she merely looked off to the side, at a certain part of the floor. "You already did."

Tsukune gave her a confused look, and then turned towards the floor. He gasped out loud as he saw a woman's body on the floor, an anguished look on her pale face, and her long silver hair strewn about her prone form. "No!" he cried out, and knelt by her side. "Moka-san, Moka-san wake up!" he pleaded as he looked fully into her dead face, and noticed it was heavily streaked with dried tears.

"She won't wake up," the pink-haired girl replied coldly as she glared down at the still-kneeling youth. "She died of a broken heart, broken by you, Tsukune."

"No!" the formerly human student protested as he rose to his feet. "No, that's not possible!"

"Is it," the human form of Moka replied in a calm yet challenging voice, as she gestured to the side.

Tsukune looked to his right, and saw the silver-haired woman on her feet, as she confronted a much taller man, clad only in a familiar pair of trousers. He cringed at the disgusted scowl on the man's face, along with his slitted crimson irises, framed by the blackest of hate. The only other person he'd seen with such a terrifying visage was Dracula, though he was certain it wasn't the vampire lord. When he felt the man's aura, his whole being quivered with fear.

Before he could've reacted, he watched as the man reached out and grasped the unsealed vampire's throat. The words shared between the two were anything but affectionate, and the brown-haired youth was horrified by the exchange.

"Don't play mind games with me!" Inner Moka growled, as she brought back her right leg. "_**KNOW YOUR PLACE!**_" she shouted, and loaded with a high kick right to the man's chin. Though his head snapped back and he lost his grip, he suffered no other effects.

The brown-haired youth was stunned by what he saw, and grimaced in terror as the scene became familiar to him. "No, stop!" he pleaded.

"This is no game," the horrifying man in the memory spoke ominously, as he reached towards the back of his trousers, "this is reality. And time will prove me right."

The teenager didn't want to believe what was occurring before him, not to mention who was causing it. He almost forgot to breathe for a few moments, and looked on as he felt fear within the female vampire's heart once she saw the Rosario. "Tsukune, what are you-" she began, but was interrupted when her former friend forcibly replaced the Rosario, as well as release his own youki. "_**TSUKUNE, NO!**_" the daiyoukai cried out in rarely seen desperation.

"And until you come to embrace this truth," the brooding man declared, "you will **never** awaken again! _**KNOW YOUR PLACE!**_"

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" both Mokas screamed in agony, as crackles of light and dark energy shot around her body. After a few painful moments, the vampire collapsed on the floor. "Tsukune," she spoke in a pained, broken whisper, as the scene faded into nothingness.

Tsukune looked on in sheer terror, thunderstruck at the thought that he could've possibly been so cruel to his first friend at the academy. "_**NOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "I didn't, I couldn't, that wasn't me! _**IT WASN'T!**_"

"You know it was," the pink-haired girl behind him spoke coldly, her words like titanium warhammers that smashed into his soul. "You believed you knew better, and killed Ura-chan for questioning you. How is she supposed to learn anything if she's **dead!**"

"No!" the stricken youth shouted desperately as he turned back to her, and saw her with the lifeless body of Inner Moka in her arms. "No, she can't be dead! If you're here, then Moka-san must be alive! She **has** to be!"

"Don't be so smug," the female vampire replied with a cold scowl, "you don't understand me at all. A selfish person like you has no right being beside me." With that, she turned around and walked towards the darkness at the other end of the hall.

"No, wait!" the formerly human student cried out as he ran towards her, only to find an invisible barrier in his path. "Moka-san, you can't do this!" he wailed, as he slammed his hands against the forcefield before him. "I-_**I LOVE YOU!**_"

The young woman continued forward without even as much as a backward glance. "Goodbye, Tsukune," she spoke with an icy finality, as she disappeared into the darkness.

The brown-haired youth collapsed to his knees, completely crushed at being so totally rejected. "_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"

* * *

Moka growled to herself, as she fought against the last remnants of her enforced sleep. With a final effort, she managed to regain consciousness, only to find her wrists bound. She quickly inspected herself, and found herself chained to a bed by her wrists and ankles, along with a long length of chain that bound her waist to the bed.

"What is this," she asked herself, and then pulled on the chain that bound her right wrist. But as she used her aura to increase her strength, a painful shock assailed her, which promptly disrupted her efforts. She tried to free herself again, but with similar results. She made one last attempt, as she strove to ignore the pain that came from her makeshift manacles. However, the longer she struggled, the more the chains shocked her, and she eventually ceased her attempts.

She lied back on the bed, enraged at her predicament. "Blast you, Neesan," she growled. "This was my fight, how _dare_ you interfere!" As her pain slowly subsided, she pondered her interrupted battle, and realized the reason behind it. "What am I saying, this is my fault," she finally conceded. "I let my guard down, and now I'm stuck like this." She looked down to the cursed Rosario that rested against her chest. "Ura-chan would be so ashamed of me, how can I call myself a vampire if I'm so careless?" A deep sigh escaped her, as the blackened metal against her bare skin seemed to condemn her further.

At that moment, the sound of heavy and hurried footsteps came from outside the door. They went past it and suddenly stopped. Moka gasped, as she remembered the footsteps from before. "Aneue," she asked aloud.

The footsteps slowly came back towards her cell. The bound vampire looked about, and saw it wasn't the same room as before, since the walls were intact and there was no furniture other than the bed that constrained her. Suddenly, a loud banging sound came from the other side, and the door violently swung open. She looked ahead, and saw the form of her oldest sister in the doorway, a smoking gun in her hand. "Aneue," she spoke softly, as she felt a dark stirring deep in her soul.

"Well well well," the leather-clad youkai remarked with a wry smirk as she strolled into the room, "so this is where the old man is keeping all his toys."

Moka could've done nothing but watch as the taller woman approached her bedside. And the nearer she got, the more the prisoner felt a dark sensation in her soul. It didn't feel like any aura she'd ever sensed, but as she pondered the matter, she realized she didn't sense her aura at the hospital, and that disturbed her. She was certain she should've been able to sense Pfaria's presence, even if her power was sealed. She looked closely, and saw her sister's complexion was slightly paler than usual, but nothing compared to the deathlike visage her counterpart possessed. Despite that, she was certain there was something different about the woman before her, something very wrong.

The silver-haired woman slowed down her breathing in order to control her fears, as her eyes locked onto her sister's, still concealed behind her dark shades. "Where's Neesan," she finally asked the black-clad woman before her.

A very unsettling chuckle came from the eldest of the four sisters. "That little puppet is ancient history now, all thanks to Sweet Widdle Maggie," she replied with an unrepentant smirk, and lightly kissed the end of the gun's barrel.

Moka's crimson irises went wide with anger and disbelief as she stared at the dark woman before her, incensed by her callousness and misplaced affections. "No!" she exclaimed. "You didn't!" Her chains released another magical shock, which made her scream in pain. After a second, the discharge died down, which left the bound vampire in a daze as she struggled to recover from the debilitating effects.

At the side of the bed, Pfaria chuckled as she regarded her plight. "Oh, you were a piece of work, Kahlua. Chaining up your little doll like some kind of animal so it doesn't misbehave, let alone try to escape."

"I am not a toy!" the teenager insisted. "I am your blood sister, Moka Akashiya! Acknowledge me!" An even stronger shock came from the chains, which wreaked havoc on her entire being before it subsided. She groaned in pain, weakened from her manacles. "Neesan, why," she asked, mortified that her older sister would've gone to such lengths to interfere with her plans.

"Because she's a puppet," the pink-haired woman replied in a cold, unfeeling voice.

The silver-haired woman inhaled sharply as she looked to her sister.

"There was never a day in her life that she ever fought for her beliefs. Not one!" she snapped heatedly, and then exhaled, bitterness heavy on her breath. "She never wanted a vampire's life, she merely wanted to live in peace and happiness with everyone. But no, the old man and the old bat couldn't have **that!**" she finished tartly. "They dragged her kicking and screaming to the training grounds, forced her day in and day out to become an assassin. Then they sent her out into the field, and forced her time and again to compromise her principles! And through all that, she came to the conclusion that one's personal beliefs were meaningless if those morons didn't approve." The hand that held her gun shook angrily by her side. "Had she only stood up for herself, she wouldn't have become such an emotional wreck! Yeah, it would've ticked the old bat off, might've gotten her seriously tortured for disobeying that nutcase, but at least she'd have still retained her dignity! What's the point in being a royal vampire if you can't even look at yourself in the mirror every day," she asked aloud, as she looked in no particular direction.

Moka gasped in shock, as she never knew the real reason behind her sister's tears. She cringed at the thought of being personally forced to have become a killer "They trained Neesan against her will," she asked in disbelief. "How could they do that?"

Pfaria looked off to the side, a deep scowl on her pale face. "They saw her desire for peace as a sign of weakness, they deemed them unbecoming of a vampire. They were intent on having a _strong_ child, regardless if she couldn't think for herself, regardless if she couldn't function in the civilized world. Those idiots would've eventually driven her **insane!**" she all but screamed, as she spread her arms out wide. "But hey, at least she would've been _strong,_ and that's all that matters to a vampire, doesn't it?"

The bound vampire screamed in demonic rage, more infuriated than she'd ever been in her life. The thought that her older sister been literally been violated time and again by her supposedly loving parents filled her entire being with hatred, as she finally understood the reason behind Kahlua's perpetual torment, as well as Pfaria's undisguised contempt for her own kind. The chains came alive once more, yet Moka ignored the pain and struggled to break free, intent on ripping the bed apart, and then her father for what he did to her precious sister.

The pink-haired woman looked on in shock at what occurred before her. She could've seen the prisoner was in excruciating pain, yet she struggled regardless. She watched as an eerie ebony and crimson aura surrounded her body, and crackles of blackest energy shot around her, which immediately clashed against the debilitating charges sent by her fetters. The tall woman slowly removed her sunglasses for a better look, as she'd never sensed such a violent aura in her entire life. She then gasped as it seemed the woman's musculature slowly began to expand before her unbelieving eyes. She watched as her toned thighs and calves began to fill out, and even her ribcage started to expand, which strained against the buttons of her emerald jacket. Her mouth hung open as she saw even the prisoner's chest began to swell against her slowly constricting blouse. At that moment, she felt a sharp pain in her own chest, which made her grimace, despite herself. "What the hell is this," the leather-clad youkai finally asked, as she felt a growing twinge of fear in her heart.

"You're about to find out," Moka replied menacingly, a deadly promise relayed in her dark tone. "If you won't believe my words, then I'll **show** you who I am!"

Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning crashed down just outside the doorway, and illuminated the entire room in a blinding flash. The phenomenon disrupted the silver-haired woman's concentration, and the youki shocks overwhelmed and finally managed to subdue her. She lied back onto the bed, as lingering pain shot through her entire body. She grit her teeth together, as she was certain she'd nearly broken the chains. Before she could've made another attempt, she felt a seething aura nearby. She looked past her sister, and saw the familiar form of her father outside the doorway. "Otou-san," she spoke in a rasping whisper, her eyes glowing with hatred.

"_**YOU!**_" the master vampire screamed at Pfaria, whose back was still turned to him. He lunged into the room with blinding speed, his arms outstretched and his fangs bared with hatred, as a vicious scream of unbridled rage escaped him. But before he reached her, the pink-haired woman raised her left arm, brought her gun around her left side and fired. Shuzen screamed in agony and fell to one knee, as he held his left leg with both hands. "How dare you," he growled through clenched teeth, incensed at his daughter's audacity.

The eldest of the four sisters spun around, and fired another bullet right into his left knee, which made him scream once more. She fired a third bullet into his right thigh, which made him fall onto his side, writhing in obvious pain. She unloaded one more bullet into his lower right leg, and angled her shot so it would've remained in his body and caused more damage.

Moka looked on at the fallen form of her father, as a hissing breath escaped her. She was unnerved that he was right within her grasp, yet her accursed chains continued to deny her.

Pfaria emitted a low chuckle as she looked over her shoulder towards the bound vampire. "I suppose I should thank you, kid," she remarked with a sardonic smirk as she replaced her sunglasses. "Your little temper tantrum lured the old man out, this couldn't have gone better if I'd planned it."

"You used me," the silver-haired woman asked in an accusing growl, as she narrowed her glowing red eyes into deadly slits. "Tell me, was any of what you said about Neesan true?"

The tall woman looked away at that moment. "Hmph, I dunno why I even told you that. It's not like you're anyone important."

"Are you so sure of that," Moka asked, as her harsh expression softened. "Tell me, when I was trying to break free, did you feel a dark stirring deep within your soul, something you can't describe?"

"What are you saying," her older sister demanded with a suspicious look as she turned back to her.

"I felt the same thing when you first entered the room, yet I didn't before then. And frankly, it scares me. Please, Aneue, tell me," she asked with a deeply concerned look. "What happened to you after the meeting with Otou-san?"

"Do not speak to her!" Shuzen commanded from his vantage point. "She has assaulted and dishonored her lord and thus forfeited all rights, titles, and privileges she once held! She is nothing more than a traitor now, deserving of nothing but death!"

Pfaria threw her head back and emitted a sarcastic gale of laughter. "And that's supposed to bother me _why,_" she asked as she turned back to her wounded father. "I got sick of you and this whole sick joke of a life long ago. And don't start preaching about honor, old man, because you don't have any!"

"Silence, you insipid wretch!" the patriarch growled hatefully, clearly disgusted with his current state. "How **dare** you bare your fangs against us, against _**ME!**_ I spoke you into existence, **I** gave you a life that transcended the imaginations of mere mortals, _**I**_ am the source of all the blessings and comforts you've enjoyed throughout your time on this world! And would you _dare_ spit upon them and accept **his** foul embrace," he asked with a revolted expression. "Are you trying to call him back? _**DO YOU DESIRE HIS RESURRECTION?**_"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the pink-haired woman roared as she drove her foot down into her father's ribs, which elicited an agonized scream of obvious pain. "How _**DARE**_ you accuse me of selling my soul to Dracula! I should blow your head off just for that! That's the **same** excuse you used when you killed Moka, when you killed Heinrich!"

The silver-haired woman glared at the wounded on the floor. "You didn't!" she spoke hatefully. And even though the chains shocked her once again, they only served to anger her further.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Shuzen retorted, as his eyebrows shot up.

"The hell you don't!" his eldest daughter shot back. "You never approved of Heinrich yet you never said it to my face. You just plotted behind my back, hoping to find an excuse to get rid of him. And unfortunately for him, he gave you one. He, spoke his name," she continued tartly, her face twisted with hatred and contempt. "That's all the reason you needed to murder him. And had it not been for Moka, I would've never found out."

The bound vampire hissed to herself as she regarded her father. "Is this true," she asked in a low deadly voice.

"Do not listen to her! She is only desperately trying to slander my divine name in order to justify betraying us!" he shot back, as his eyebrows went up again.

"But that wasn't enough for you," Pfaria continued from where she left off, unfazed by her father's tirade, "no, you had to order his family to deny he even existed. They tore down his room, threw out all his clothes and belongings, even his own mother claimed she never knew him! She wouldn't recall bringing her into the world, so I took her out!"

Shuzen actually gasped in shock as he looked up to his fuming child. "**You** killed Helga?"

"Yes, I killed her!" the eldest sister shot back. "I killed every single one of those bastards, and then burned that little hovel to the ground! How _**DARE**_ they deny their own flesh and blood!" She knelt down near her father, and growled menacingly as her eyes glowed red with hatred from behind her shades. "And I made sure his old lady died nice and slow," she continued, no hint of remorse in her cold voice. "Any mother who disowns their own child deserves no less. And unlike that worthless old bat of mine, I practice what I preach."

"Aneue," Moka spoke under her breath, horrified by what she'd heard. Never did she imagine her oldest sister was capable of such carnage, even at her worst. However, during the heated exchange, the bound vampire was finally able to sense Dracula's curse within her relative. What troubled her was she was certain she hadn't felt it when they were together in throne room, so she knew her father's allegations were invalid. Unfortunately, the fact that she _was_ cursed made her a far more dangerous threat to her mother. And yet, despite what Pfaria had already wrought, the academy student actually felt sorry for her wayward sister. She put herself in her shoes, as she dared consider the possibility of Tsukune being killed and disowned by his loving family. She sighed mournfully, as she privately admitted such a trauma could've made her desire vengeance, just like her sister.

"You fool!" the wounded Dark Lord declared. "They only did what was required by law! Had they continued to be associated with that idiot beermaker, then they would've been cursed as well, and eventually subverted to that usurper's will! That's the fate of **all** who speak his name! I only did what I had to in order to protect them and you! How **dare** you turn against me after I saved your eternal soul you worthless ungrateful bitch!"

Pfaria sprung up and then drove her knee right into her father's nether regions, which shook the entire room for several seconds. Shuzen found himself unable to deny the pain, and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, aghast as he began to fear his precious manhood had been pulverized by the attack. He screamed for several seconds, his entire being racked by an agony he'd never experienced in his near six hundred year life. The sinister woman threw her head back in laughter, elated by his suffering.

Livid at what she'd just seen and heard, the silver-haired woman screamed in a rage she never knew existed, as her menacing aura exploded around her. Though the shackles again sprung to life, she ignored the pain and continued to struggle against her binds, intent on tearing them apart, along with the fiend who she no longer acknowledged as her father.

"Moka, stop!" the castellan shouted over the seething rage of his daughter's aura. "I forbid you to use that power!"

"Shut up, old man!" the princess retorted, all but lost in hatred. "I've had enough of you toying with people's lives! Even if Ura-chan somehow forgives you, I never will!" she declared, as her form began to expand.

"You can't do this to me!" Shuzen protested. "I made you, I can unmake you!"

Pfaria promptly raised her weapon aloft and smashed the butt of her gun over his head, which left the Third Dark Lord with a glazed look on his pale face. She then turned to the prisoner, who continued to struggle with her binds. "What do you think you're doing!" she called out. "Those chains will kill you if you struggle too much! They were designed to hold vampires!"

"I won't die, I've waited too long for this moment to be denied by some stupid manacles!"

The leather-clad youkai looked on in disbelief, as she protectively guarded her face with her left arm. Her eyes went wide as she noted the woman's body slowly became more developed, and began to strain against her jacket and blouse. "Why are you going to all this trouble!" the eldest sister asked. "What are you trying to prove!"

"I made a promise," the stricken woman continued, as she continued to struggle against her bonds and the agony they released, "to my mother, and to you! I'm going to save you, Aneue, because **I **_**LOVE YOU!**_" she declared despite her pain, as her aura grew even larger.

Pfaria gasped in shock, as she was left speechless for but a moment. It had been years since anyone had voiced such words to her. Her green eyes went wide in disbelief, still shocked by what she'd heard, along with the convictions behind them. At that moment, memories of her old life came to the forefront, and the prisoner was replaced with the image of a seven-year-old girl in a black dress. "M... Moka," she asked, as a lone tear ran down her cheek.

Suddenly, a blast of crackling youki erupted from nearby, and struck the chained princess, whose entire body stiffened as she screamed in unimaginable agony. The pink-haired woman was shocked, but then her horror gave way to anger as she looked beside her. She saw the badly wounded form of her father, as he unleashed his youki into the bound woman even though he couldn't stand.

"You bastard!" an enraged girl's voice screamed from the doorway.

The eldest sister looked, and watched as a cyan-haired girl streaked past her, and then drove her elongated nails into the patriarch's attacking arm. The elder vampire cried out in pain, and his attack was canceled out. He looked horrified at the sight of the succubus' claws embedded in his forearm. His attacker quickly extracted them, which made him cry out despite himself. She then slashed him hard across the face, which knocked him onto his side.

"Moka-san!" a little girl's voice cried out.

Pfaria glanced behind her, and saw a small brunette girl in a witch's attire had run into the room, headed for the bed where her friend was still bound. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to notice the elder on the floor had targeted her. But before the pink-haired woman could've acted, a strange woman with a shadowy aura ran in, grabbed a hold of the girl's cloak and yanked her back, just as a piercing beam of cyan energy shot forth, and punched a hole in the wall, as small broken pieces of rock flew out and landed on the floor.

"Yukari-chan!" the girl in the sweater cried out, shocked that her friend had nearly been killed in an instant. She then turned to the stricken lord, grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, lifted him up and slammed him into the wall. "How dare you, Shuzen!" she snapped, her usually seductive face twisted in rage. "Locking up Moka and torturing her, you've gone **too far** this time!" She unsheathed the claws on her right hand, and brought them close to his face. "Give me one good reason I don't chop your stinking head off right now!"

The elder's eyes flashed, and his enemy was flung back by a huge blast of telekinetic force, which slammed her into the far wall. "How's _that_ for a reason," he growled, his voice thick with pain and rage.

"Kurumu-chan," a calm female voice spoke. At that moment, a purple-haired girl in a baggy sweater entered the room, and came to the stricken youkai's side.

The wounded lord growled in anger, as the same girls who'd invaded the throne room earlier made their way inside. "Miserable worms, you dare oppose me again," he demanded, as he struggled to regain his footing, though he found his badly injured legs uncooperative. "Just for that, you are all condemned to death!"

Pfaria immediately spun around and nailed him hard in the gut with a front kick, which doubled him over and left him coughing badly. "You're in no position to be executing anyone, old man," she spoke in an icy voice of doom. "The only one who's gonna die here tonight is you."

Shuzen growled in rage and shot to his feet, despite the incredible agony in his legs. He unleashed a huge blast of his telekinetic force, and knew the attack hit since the air around his target was distorted. However, he was shocked as he saw his attack had no other effect, as his defiant daughter remained standing before him.

"Was that it," she asked with a wry smirk. "You're getting soft in your old age."

"Impossible!" the elder declared, as he released another blast, with similar results. "I am the King of Vampires!" he shouted, as he unleashed a third telekinetic attack, which again failed to even budge his daughter. "My power is beyond infinite!" A fourth youki assault directly struck the leather-clad daiyoukai, with the same results as before. "I am the ruler of this miserable world!" he declared, all but insane as he released a slew of force attacks. "I can never be defeated!"

Annoyed by the endless and ineffective attacks, Pfaria reached out and grabbed her father's head with her right hand, which disrupted his next assault as his eyes were covered by his daughter's palm. An almost pitying scowl appeared on her pale face as she regarded her frantic sire. "Can it." She lifted him high off his feet, and then slammed the back of his head hard into the floor, which shook the entire room.

The girls were frozen in place, thunderstruck by what they'd just witnessed.

"No freakin' way," Mizore remarked with a blank look of shock.

"This can't be," Yukari added, disbelief all over her young face. "Lord Shuzen is a Dark Lord, how is it he can't hurt Pfaria-san, desu?"

"I don't know," Michiru interjected, "but I do know she wasn't this strong back at the hospital. Something is very wrong," he concluded, much too intimidated to have attempted to restrain the seemingly invincible vampire princess.

"How the hecht are we supposed to stop her," Kurumu asked silently, though she couldn't conceal her intense fear and disbelief.

"We need the other Moka," Ruby whispered urgently. "I might have a way to awaken her, but we need to get those two away from her."

The purple-haired girl quickly looked between her bound friend, the badly wounded lord on the floor, and the deranged woman who stood over him. As she considered what she saw, an idea formed in her head. "Come over here," she spoke quietly, "I have a plan." The girls gathered near her, and the yuki onna's strategy was relayed in hushed whispers.

"You've gotta be kidding," the cyan-haired girl protested as she gave her classmate a disgusted look.

"Listen, breast girl, this whole plan hinges on you. I know you can handle that load," she continued as she tapped the underside of the incognito succubus' large chest, "a little more dead weight won't slow you down. Think of it as payback for your harebrained scheme down in the dungeon."

"Did you have to say dead weight, Mizore-chan," the older witch asked with a leery expression.

"Hey!" Kurumu shot back. "Don't complain! That plan worked, didn't it?"

"This will, too. With a hothead like Pfaria, it can't fail. Wish me luck," the purple-haired girl concluded, as she leaned in and planted an icy kiss on her classmate's cheek, and then disappeared from sight, which left an incensed succubus trembling in aggravation, as she instinctively covered her endowments with her arms.

Moka groaned in lingering pain as she remained manacled to the bed. Her entire being seemed to writhe in pain, both from the chains and her father's attack. It discouraged her that he was so opposed to her battle with her sister, so much that he would've risked inflicting serious injury on her in order to prevent their fight. She breathed quietly, as she felt Dracula's power pulsating within her, almost commanding to be released. However, she knew she was still too weak to have made another attempt, and certainly not while her father was still in the room.

Suddenly, she felt an icy presence on the other side of her bed. "Hey Moka," a calm voice spoke up, "sorry we caught you at a bad time."

The daiyoukai spun her head around and saw her close friend, who hadn't been there but a moment ago, down on her knees with her forearms resting against the bed. "Mizore," she began in a weak voice, "when did you get here?"

"A few moments ago. You alright?"

The bound princess groaned in response. "I will be, I just need a few moments to recover."

"Hey, no problem," her classmate replied, as she soothingly rubbed her shoulder with her slender hand, "we're all here for you."

Moka sighed in mild elation, as her friend's cold touch felt very soothing at that moment. "Mizore-chan."

"Get away from her!" Pfaria's enraged voice shouted. "Or I'll turn you into a snow cone!"

The silver-haired woman hissed, and looked on as her sister had come to the bedside, and pointed her gun at the yuki onna's head. "Aneue, don't you dare hurt her," the daiyoukai spoke warningly. "If you want to fight someone, I'll fight you. But leave them out of this!"

The purple-haired girl yuki looked up from her vantage point, and saw the large gun at her head. "Turn me into a snow cone," she asked calmly. "Not with that you won't."

"And why is that," the pink-haired woman asked acidly as she leaned towards the smaller girl.

"Simple, a Magnum gun only fires five shots, and you've used them all here. That thing's nothing more than a huge lump of metal now."

"Really, care to put that to the test," the demoness asked in a menacing voice as she pulled back the hammer of her gun.

"Don't need to, you've already failed with flying colors."

An aggravated growl was heard from behind the menacing woman. "Put me down you disgusting creature!" Shuzen's voice demanded.

Pfaria turned around, and saw her father had been slung over the shoulder of the cyan-haired girl, who rapidly headed for the doorway. The eldest sister screamed in unbridled rage, and aimed her gun at the fleeing girl. She pulled the trigger, but the incognito succubus had already made it around the bend, and the bullet punched a hole into the wall across the corridor.

"Shoot, she fires six shots," Mizore spoke under her breath, cursing her error in judgment. She quickly recovered, ducked behind the bed, and reappeared on the other side. She quickly ran out of the suddenly vacant room, and headed to the left.

The pink-haired woman growled in aggravation and stormed headlong towards the doorway. But just as she made it out of the room, she lost her footing on a slippery surface and landed hard on her side. Once she'd fallen, the oldest of the group came from the other side and ran into the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Ruby," the prisoner spoke, shocked at what had just occurred, but glad they'd arrived at such a crucial moment.

"Moka-san," the dark-haired woman spoke worriedly as she examined her friend, and her pinkish eyes went wide in shock. "Moka-san, are you alright?"

The academy sophomore groaned in obvious pain before she responded. "I will be," she finally spoke. "Ruby, what's going on?"

The dark-haired woman sighed gravely as she regarded the bound vampire. "Moka-san," she began urgently, "your sister is out of control. She's already killed Kahlua-san and plans to kill your father next. The others are trying to create a diversion, but they won't be able to hold her off for long. Not even Lord Shuzen was able to harm her, his attacks were, meaningless against him!"

Moka gasped aloud at what she'd just heard, and quickly deduced the answer. "It's Dracula's curse, she's become afflicted as well!"

The older witch stiffened in response, thunderstruck by the explanation. "So that's why."

"I have to stop her, Ruby," the silver-haired woman continued with an alarmed look. "I can't let her kill Haha-ue!"

Mikogami's assistant looked gravely at her friend, and then closed her eyes. "I'm glad you realize how serious this is," she replied with a solemn nod of her head. "There might be a way, if we can awaken your other self, it should overload these chains and allow you to break them." She looked away for a moment, her soft features marred by a grimace. "But it's very risky," she continued, "you won't like it, and there's no guarantee it'll work. But it's clear time is not on our side."

The silver-haired woman raised her head off the bed. Though she was hopeful at the notion of finally freeing her other self, her friend's reluctant air told her the solution was anything but pleasant. "You do," she asked, a look of desperate hope in her crimson irises, "you can bring back Ura-chan? How?"

Ruby solemnly closed her eyes, and sighed in resignation as she produced a familiar leather weapon. "With this."

"_**NO!**_" Moka screamed in protest. "Get that thing away from me!" The chains came alive again, and released another debilitating shock.

"I know how much you hate this whip," the dark-haired woman explained, unsurprised by her friend's reaction, "and if none of this were happening I'd never even suggest it! But without Tsukune, the only other way to release your seal is to bypass it, something only this whip can do."

A loud thud came from the hallway outside, followed by a pained cry. The chained princess looked towards the door, and inhaled sharply as a familiar aura disappeared. "Mizore," she spoke sadly, as she feared the worst.

"She's already fallen," Mikogami's assistant asked as she look to the door, shocked that the yuki onna had been defeated so quickly. "There's no more time," she continued as she turned back to her friend. "We need the other you, Moka-san, there's no one else who can stand against Pfaria!"

"That might not be a good idea, Ruby," the daiyoukai replied warily. "I'd definitely fight to keep my promise, but Ura-chan, she loves her father. And if she finds out Aneue is trying to kill him, I dare not think what she might do. She was raised to follow the law, without question. And with the Rosario the way it is, I might, not be able to stop her."

The older witch gulped hard at that. Even though she knew the two Mokas were different, she had no idea her inner self might've actually tried to kill Pfaria in order to save her father. She wasn't sure if she even could've slain her older sister, since she'd apparently been empowered by Dracula. She quickly shook off her confusing thoughts, and looked back to her friend. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. But we can't afford to lose another Dark Lord. Hate me for holding this," she continued as she held up the whip, "but I believe Mikogami granted it to us for a reason. Have faith, Moka-san, he believed in all of you, didn't he? We can't let his faith and trust be for naught."

The silver-haired woman sighed heavily to herself, torn by the painful dilemma before her. She knew their situation was very dire, yet she couldn't stand the touch of the whip against her. She also knew her friends were risking their lives for her sake. It reminded her of the fateful battle against Kuyou the previous year, where her friends bravely held him off while her alter ego granted the fallen Tsukune her blood. "Tsukune," she spoke to herself, as a lone tear ran down her pale cheek. She remembered her friends almost died that day, and found history was repeating itself again. And she knew, though it pained her to admit it, that any further delay would've put them at greater risk. Despite how much she hated the Vampire Killer, she knew she couldn't have sacrificed her friends' lives just for the sake of a vendetta, as her oldest sister and her father had done, or she wouldn't have been able to have lived with herself.

"_All in good time,_" the Chairman's haunting voice spoke in the vampire's mind.

"Moka-san, please!" Ruby called out urgently. "There's no time!"

"I know," the bound vampire spoke in a low, resigned voice, then turned to her worried friend. "Alright, do it."

The dark-haired woman leaned over and embraced her. "Forgive me, Moka-san," she spoke sadly, as a tear ran from her eye. She slipped her right arm out of the sling and brought the whip near the vampire's leg. Though the task was trying with only one good arm, she used her splint as a brace to hold the whip down. She wrapped it around her left leg, tied it tightly and stepped back. No sooner than she did that crackles of white energy shot around the whip, followed by the eruption of a familiar ebony and crimson aura. "I'm sorry," the witch spoke to herself as she was assaulted by her friend's agonized screams.

* * *

Yukari turned the corner after Kurumu and proceeded down another corridor, desperately trying to keep up with her friend. Even though the incognito succubus was carrying an adult man on her shoulder, it hardly seemed to slow her down, which impressed the young brunette greatly. She knew well how easy it was to underestimate Kurumu, and many had paid for the folly in one manner or another.

The vampire lord snorted in disgust, incensed at being treated like dead weight. He forcefully elbowed his carrier in the back of the head, which forced her to drop him. He landed on his feet, and though he was instantly assailed by the searing agony of his badly wounded legs, he ignored it and stood proud, as he glared down his nose at the injured youkai, who was bent over on one knee.

"Disgusting creature," he began in with a contemptuous voice, "who do you think you are! I am the King of this world, **nothing** can ever overcome me!"

"You stupid old man!" Yukari quipped in protest. "We're trying to save your life! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Silence, waif!" the silver-haired noble snapped, and forced his youki onto the child prodigy, who quickly found herself forced onto her knees by the intense gravity generated by Shuzen's aura. "I am the King of Vampires, I do not **need** to be saved! I am a power in my own right, unparalleled in all the youkai world! Kneel down before my infinite might!"

Incensed by the Dark Lord's arrogance, Kurumu unsheathed her claws and slashed him across the right kneecap, which made him scream in pain and canceled out his youki. She quickly took the initiative and regained her footing. "You need to get over yourself, Shuzen," she spoke in a vicious growl, as she found herself detesting him more than any other being she'd ever encountered. "Did you forget you couldn't even scratch Pfaria with your _infinite might,_" she finished mockingly.

The wounded vampire growled in anger at being reminded of the embarrassing moment, as well as the new pain in his knee.

"It doesn't matter _how_ much power you think you have, you still bleed," the succubus continued, as she flicked out her claws which sent droplets of the vampire's blood onto his face. "And if you can bleed, you can die!"

"I will _**NEVER**_ die!" the stricken noble roared defiantly. "I am _**ETERNAL!**_" he screamed at the top of his lungs, and manifested his full power.

"You're an eternal idiot!" the succubus shouted over the rumbling of his aura. "You just gave yourself away!"

"Ha! I am the powerful being in the Universe, I have **nothing** to fear!" But just after he'd made his proclamation, the intense agony in his legs actually grew stronger, and he found himself unable to deny its existence. He leaned over, as he struggled to maintain his balance.

Yukari came up beside her friend and watched the suffering lord with wide eyes. "What in the world," she asked, "are those bullets in his legs reacting to his aura?"

Kurumu was thunderstruck by her theory, as she'd never imagined it possible. "No way! Where did she find that thing?"

"I don't know, but I'd say it's clear that gun was designed to kill her father, desu."

Shuzen growled to himself, livid at his predicament. "This is absurd!" he snarled through his pain. "I am the pinnacle of all life, I should have **no** limitations!"

Before either of the girls could've given a rebuttal, a thundering impact came from the hallway they'd just traversed, followed by a pained canine howl. Another impact was heard, followed by another inhuman yelp. They both looked behind them, frightened expressions on their faces as they knew what had just occurred.

"Michiru-san," the young witch with a look of sheer dread. She looked back to her full-figured friend. "Kurumu-san, take him and go. I'll hold her off."

"Yukari-chan, no!" the succubus protested. "Pfaria will kill you if you try to face her alone!"

"We need to give Ruby-san more time," the child prodigy insisted. "And I'm not strong enough to carry him. Please, Kurumu-san, believe in me."

"Ha!" Shuzen snapped derisively. "None of you idiots have the slightest chance against Pfaria! _**I**_ am the only one who can defeat her!" he declared, as he stuck his thumb into his chest. "_**I**_ am the only one who deserves to!"

Yukari growled to herself, her patience with the prideful vampire thoroughly exhausted. "Take this and clobber him, won't you, desu," she asked her close friend, as a dark shadow covered her eyes and forehead.

The cyan-haired girl looked up, and watched as a large kitchen sink materializes over the Dark Lord's head. She quickly realized her friend's plan, leaped high into the air, grabbed the sink, came down and smashed it with all her superhuman strength over Shuzen's head. The appliance was completely shattered upon impact, as broken pieces of metal and porcelain crumbled onto the floor around the patriarch. She watched as the dazed vampire lord tottered uncertainly, and then moved in as he fell forward. She caught him on her shoulder and then straightened her back. She then glanced over her shoulder to her classmate, a worried expression on her face. "Be careful, Yukari-chan," she spoke softly, as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. She then turned and headed further down the hall.

The child prodigy watched as her friend disappeared into the darkness at the far end of the wall. "I will, Kurumu-san," she replied with a determined look.

It was then that she heard heavy footsteps from the other end of the hallway. She turned around, and watched as Pfaria turned the corner and headed in her direction. The witch waved her wand into the air, and a slew of iron tarot cards appeared. They formed several rows, and filled up the the entire height and width of the corridor. The rows moved in opposite directions, and when a card was about to reach the wall, it vanished and then reappeared at the opposite end.

The leather-clad woman slowed her advance, until she finally came to a stop at the edge of the makeshift barrier. "What is this," she asked with an annoyed scowl. "You think little pieces of paper are going to stop me?"

"That's far enough, Pfaria-san!" Yukari retorted boldly as she stood her ground. "I won't let you kill anyone else, desu! How is it you still live, I saw that mean old man kill you in the throne room, desu!"

"Hmph," the much taller youkai muttered casually, "what can I say, the old man's losing his touch. He's long overdue and it's time he met his maker."

The child prodigy frowned at the explanation, for she found it very suspicious. She knew vampires grew stronger with time, not weaker. As she pondered the matter, she felt a very familiar energy within the menacing woman before her, and she gasped to herself. "_Dracula's curse!_" she thought to herself. "_No way, did Dracula really bring Pfaria-san back to life?_"

"Hey kid," Pfaria's voice spoke up, which broke the young girl out of her introspection. "You gonna move or what, I don't have time for you, I have unfinished business to settle."

"Moka-san would be very sad to see you like this," Yukari remarked with a twinge of sadness and regret.

"Can it!" the pink-haired woman snapped angrily, as she aimed her gun and pulled back the hammer. "I'm through with your little games, kid! Out of my way, and don't you **dare **say that name again!"

The smaller witch winced as her enemy had armed her weapon, and almost lost her concentration, which would've been disastrous at that juncture. She quickly caught herself and tightened her grip on her wand. "No! I won't let you hurt my friends anymore!"

The eldest sister merely sneered at her declaration, which exposed one of her fangs.

"Magicky magical magic, desu!" Yukari chanted, as she began to spin around and dramatically wave her wand. "Magicky magical magic, desu!" she repeated, as the cards converged around her and formed a spherical barrier, each row rotating in a different direction. "Magicky magical-"

Her chant was interrupted by the discharge of Pfaria's gun, which completely broke her concentration and made her land on her butt with a frightened cry. Terrified beyond belief, she frantically looked about her. She saw her cards had fallen to the floor, not surprising since her spell was disrupted. She reached out to one particular card, and lifted it off the floor. She couldn't stop shivering as she saw the bullet hole in the middle of it. She quickly inspected herself, and saw no wounds upon her. A horrifying thought came to her, and she looked to her magical essence. She couldn't help but scream as she saw the top half had been blown off. "My wand!" she wailed in despair.

"Stupid kid," the unapologetic vampire remarked, "that's what you get for being too big for britches."

Yukari nearly fell to the floor, but caught herself with her left hand. As she grimaced in untold anguish, she heard the older woman's footsteps headed away from her. She quickly turned, and saw Pfaria had already walked past her. She immediately sprang to feet, ran ahead of her and instantly blocked her path, as tears of intense fear and sadness streamed down her face. Her arms were spread out wide, her broken wand still in her right hand.

A menacing growl came from the daiyoukai, as she was becoming increasingly aggravated with the persistent child before her. "Don't make me repeat myself," she spoke warningly as she aimed her gun at her. "Move aside!"

"No!" the small witch wailed, almost on the verge of a panic attack. "Pfaria-san, Moka-san is alive! She doesn't need to be avenged! Why can't you see that?"

"Move it you little brat or I'll _**BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT!**_" she screamed in rage, as she pushed the end of the barrel right against Yukari's forehead, her eyes glowing red behind her sunglasses.

The comparatively tiny brunette almost went insane as the gun was pushed against her head. As much as she wanted to run, her body was immobilized by her overwhelming fear. She actually began to see her life flash before her eyes, as she recalled all the times she'd spent with her friends at the academy, both the good and the bad. Fresh tears came to her eyes at the thought of never seeing her precious friends again.

Several tense seconds went by, and the gun had still not fired. She looked forth, and saw the barrel aimed at her head was shaking. She warily tilted her head to the side, and saw a intense look of conflict on Pfaria's face, her breathing heavy and nervous as her fangs were bared. She watched as she brought her left hand to steady her right, but her attempts seemed ineffective, as both hands began to shake. Yukari noticed she still hadn't pulled back the hammer, which gave her a scant sense of relief. "_She can't shoot,_" she asked herself mentally, perplexed by her actions. She recalled how Ayumu had accused her of murdering everyone at a local elementary school in the human world. She was certain Kurumu remembered it as well, and feared the young witch would've been killed had she confronted the eldest of the four sisters. And yet, at that moment, she saw Pfaria as not a cold-blooded killer, but as a tormented woman who sorely missed her younger sister, unaware that she was still alive. "_No, she can't. She's not a child murderer. Moka-san's mother, was wrong._"

Suddenly, a gargantuan youki erupted from around the corner that she and Kurumu passed when they were fleeing the leather-clad woman, coupled with an immense killing intent. Despite the malevolent sensations that assailed the young girl, a look of elation appeared on her face, as she believed her fellow witch had succeeded. "She did it," she exclaimed through her tears, "Moka-san!"

The pink-haired woman looked to her in disbelief, then looked back down the hall. Once she did, she heard rapid footsteps headed in her direction. As she looked on, a white-haired woman who radiated with an immense demonic aura rushed towards her at incredible speed.

"_**PFAAARIAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_"

Yukari smiled as she felt she would've soon been saved. But without warning, her adversary reached back with her right hand, and tightly grasped the large bow in the front of her cloak. With one fluid motion, the small witch was lifted off the floor, hurled over the eldest sister's shoulder and launched towards the oncoming daiyoukai like a missile. She collided with the white-haired woman, and the force of her trajectory knocked her off her feet. Both girls were sent tumbling back down the hallway, until they were stopped by the wall at the far end.

The small witch groaned in pain from the experience, as the sound of Pfaria's boots disappeared down the other end. She opened her violet eyes, and saw the deathly pale face of her savior. She saw the area around her tightly shut eyes was darkened, which gave her a skull-like appearance. Her much longer fangs were exposed, framed by her blood red lips. Her pained, rasping breath came from between her clenched teeth. Yukari examined her body for a few moments, and saw that her back was flat against the wall. She gasped and covered her mouth, as she realized the vampire had collided with it instead of her, and thus taken the full force of the impact. "Moka-san," she spoke with an aghast look, "you sacrificed yourself for me?" She quickly crawled over towards her fallen classmate and reached out towards her. "Moka-san," she spoke urgently, as she began to shake her shoulders, "Moka-san, wake up!"

The deathly pale woman immediately lifted her head, and opened her blazing red eyes. She simultaneously opened her mouth dangerously wide, which revealed her murderous incisors, as a hissing growl escaped her. The suddenly startled Yukari quickly jumped back, and landed on her rear as she slid two feet across the floor.

The frightened girl couldn't help but shiver, as she'd never received such a reaction from Moka in her unsealed form. The immense killing intent she radiated terrified the child prodigy like little else had in her short life. She watched timidly as the daiyoukai began to get to her feet, as her long ivory hair shielded her face from sight.

"My body," the royal vampire spoke in between groans. "What have you done, Omote?"

"Omote," Yukari asked herself, unfamiliar with the name. She looked on, and saw the daiyoukai had regained her footing, her back turned to the smaller girl. "Moka-san," the child prodigy called out, "Moka-san, are you alright?"

The white-haired woman said nothing in response, nor made any indication that she'd actually heard her.

The young witch scowled to herself, perturbed at the lack of a response. Her violet eyes caught sight of a long, thin object wrapped around the vampire's left leg, which made her inhale sharply. "_Is that the Vampire Killer,_" she mentally asked herself. "_That's how Ruby-san awakened her?_"

Before she could've inquired further, she saw the regal demoness had turned with her eyes closed, and walked right past her. "Moka-san, wait!" she called out, which made her classmate stop in her tracks. "Moka-san, thanks for saving me again, I really do appreciate it, you're such a good friend."

Again, the daiyoukai said nothing, as her gaze remained firmly ahead.

Yukari became more afraid, as she knew her friend had never acted so distant, even at her worst. "Moka-san," she asked timidly, "are you going to fight Pfaria-san now?"

"No," the white-haired woman replied coldly, "I'm going to kill her."

The small witch audibly gasped at what she'd just heard. "Moka-san, no! That's not what you promised your-"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the princess declared as she spun around towards Yukari.

The child prodigy gasped in sheer fright when Moka spun around. She noted her sclera had changed to blood red, which was almost the same color as her slitted pupils, which glowed with a murderous rage that the witch never had directed at her. Never had her older friend frightened her more than she did at that moment in time.

"That woman is a filthy rogue!" the third-born daughter of Issa Shuzen imperiously declared. "She means **nothing** to me now! For baring her fangs against Chichi-ue she is sentenced to death, by **my** hand!"

Yukari looked on in open-mouthed horror, thunderstruck by what she'd heard. "Moka-san, no! You don't understand!"

"I don't **need** to understand my enemies, I just need to kill them!"

"Stop this, Moka-san!" the young witch almost wailed as she frantically approached her. "You don't understand, Pfaria-san still thinks you're dead! If you just tell her who you are-"

"She doesn't deserve to know," the brooding woman interrupted scornfully, "she only deserves to die!"

"How dare you!" Yukari shot back, livid at her classmate's tirade. "You're starting to sound like that mean old man, desu!" Her indignation was quickly interrupted by a long-fingered claw that latched onto her face.

"That mean old man is my father," the royal vampire spoke in a cold, menacing voice, "and you're not going to dishonor him. Understand?"

"Why are you doing this," the ingenious student asked, as she felt like she was dealing with the impostor from several nights ago, rather than her classmate. "He wants to lock you up and erase the other Moka-san!"

"Good."

"Good!" the witch shot back incredulously. "How can you say that?"

"Omote has become defective," the daiyoukai replied with a contemptuous scowl, "she has defied me once too often! It's painfully obvious now that she needs to be destroyed and recreated, so there'll be no more mistakes!"

"How **dare** you talk like that about Moka-san!" Yukari protested, more furious than she'd ever been with the vampire before her.

"_**I**_ am Moka Akashiya!" the taller woman all but roared in rage. "_**I**_ and _**I**_ alone! There _**IS**_ no other! That idiot you're so enthralled with is an illusion, a false persona I created in order to hide from the Council! She belongs to me, I can do whatever I want to her!"

"_**LIAR!**_" the witch screamed at the top of her lungs. "Moka-san is not an illusion! I love her with all my heart, as well as Tsukune-san!"

"_**DON'T SPEAK THAT NAME!**_" The enraged daiyoukai screamed at the top of her lungs as she lifted the smaller girl off her feet with one hand and slammed her against the wall beside her. "Just for that your life ends _**HERE!**_" she shouted, as she formed a knife hand and brought it back into a striking position. "_**OHODO SHI-**_"

"_**STOOOOOP!**_" a female voice screamed from close by.

Moka looked to her right, and saw an injured dark-haired woman in a bathrobe, her wand tightly clutched in her only good hand as her eyes glowed with hatred. "Ruby," she spoke with a startled look.

"Put her down now," the witch demanded in an angry voice, "or I'll **never** forgive you!"

The white-haired woman looked between her and Yukari, then gasped in horror as she released her captive and backed away. She looked to her trembling claws, appalled at what almost happened. With a cry of fear and remorse, she ran down the corridor and disappeared into the darkness.

The small witch collapsed onto her hands and knees, as she began to bawl for the second time that day. She couldn't believe Moka almost killed her. Never did she imagine her classmate was capable of such ruthlessness, and it practically destroyed the noble image she once had of her. She felt like her whole world was crumbling around her, and couldn't find the strength to stand again, let alone fight.

"Yukari-chan," a sad woman's voice spoke from nearby.

She despondent girl looked up, and saw her fellow witch had knelt down beside her. "_**RUBY-SAN!**_" she wailed in despair, as she wrapped her small arms around her, and buried her grieving head in her chest. "Ruby-san, what's, what's happened to her?"

The older woman grimaced as she returned her embrace. "Oh, Yukari-chan, I'm so sorry. I've made a terrible mistake."

The child prodigy looked up to her, a confused expression on her young face. "Ruby-san, what do you mean?"

The administrative assistant sighed deeply as she bowed her head. "I thought I'd awakened the other Moka-san, she would've gladly fought against her sister, and fulfilled the promise she made to her mother." She swallowed hard at what she had to impart to her fellow witch. "But once I told her what was happening, she just, snapped. She proclaimed she would've killed Pfaria-san for what she did to her father." She exhaled bitterly and shook her long dark locks. "Moka-san called it high treason, and said that Pfaria-san had forfeited her right to live."

"What is wrong with her," the smaller girl asked with an aggrieved look. "She's starting to sound like that horrible old man, desu!"

"He's her father, Yukari-chan," her fellow witch explained. "And now, it's apparent he's the one who had the most influence on her. All children model themselves after one of their parents. Clearly, Moka-san chose to emulate her father."

"No!" the child prodigy cried out. "She can't be like him! She's, she's so precious to me, and Tsukune-san!" She began crying once more on Ruby's shoulder.

The dark-haired woman gave her another comforting squeeze. "Yukari-chan," she spoke softly, which got the smaller girl's attention, "we need to go."

"Go," the sophomore asked with a confused look, "go where Ruby-san?"

"If Moka-san and Pfaria-san continue like this, they may destroy one another. And they might wind up destroying Lord Shuzen as well. We can't let that happen! I can't let that happen," she continued with a haunted look. "I can't bear to watch anyone else destroy themselves pursuing a meaningless vendetta."

The brunette inhaled sharply, as she remembered when she and friends battled against the dark-haired woman on Witch's Knoll, and knew exactly what she meant. "Okay, Ruby-san," she muttered with a wan smile as she finally got to her feet, "let's go help our friends.

The older witch smiled warmly, glad that her close friend had caught her meaning. "Yes," she replied as she stood up, "let's do that."

* * *

Kuroshiro groaned to himself, as the ringing in his head passed. He shook his head a few times, grabbed the remains of the table for support, and pulled himself off the floor. "What on earth just happened," he asked himself, as he looked about the area. The last thing he recalled before he blacked out was the strange broadcast that came over the PA system. It almost sounded like a song, but one that assaulted the senses rather than soothed them. The thought of that made him cringe, as he knew if the still unknown enemies had taken over the comm system, then everyone in the precinct had heard the broadcast. All the color left his face, as he imagined everyone in the station was already dead.

He quickly looked about the area, and saw familiar woman on the floor, blood coming out of her ears, and a bullet wound in the middle of her chest. "Ayumu-san, no!" he spoke aloud, horrified at the sight before him. He looked past her, and saw the body of the foreign policeman on the floor, face down with blood coming out of his ears. "Mason-san!" He also saw the bodies of the fallen men in black suits, who the attorney had defeated with swift and brutal efficiency. He saw their ears were bloody as well, most likely from a brain hemorrhage suffered from the horrific broadcast. What troubled him was their blood wasn't a natural color. As he dared touch the strange liquid, he realized it also didn't feel like blood. He brought it close to his nose, and found it had a salty smell as well, which truly terrified him. He quickly wiped his hands on the fallen enemy agent's suit and backed away. He then looked back to where the pink-haired woman lied before, but only saw an empty spot on the floor. "Where'd she go?"

Suddenly, the dome-like barrier disappeared, and the door that led outside swung open. Five more men in black suits came into the room. Kuroshiro went for his gun, but the enemies produced their own weapons and brandished them which made him freeze. He saw they were armed with an assortment of semi and fully automatic weapons, which definitely weren't standard issue for government agents. Two of them flanked him, the ends of their guns dangerous close to his sides, a third came before him, reached into the policeman's suit and confiscated his gun, while the last two briefly surveyed the area.

After a few moments of searching, they turned back to their colleagues and shook their heads. The agent before Kuroshiro reached into his own suit and pulled out a handheld radio. "Attention all units," he spoke into the device, "target is unsecured. Repeat, target is unsecured. Commence Level Three search within the barrier perimeter. That is all."

The policeman looked on in disbelief as the enemy agent replaced his radio. "Who are you people," he demanded. "Why are you after Akashiya-san?"

The black-clad man didn't respond at first, as he looked to Mason's lifeless body on the floor. "Bring him to the others," he ordered as he pointed to the corpse.

One of the agents who'd searched the room picked up the American officer's body, slung it over his shoulder and made his way out of the room.

The clearly superior agent then looked to his colleagues who'd restrained Kuroshiro. "Take him to Kamiya-sama," he spoke crisply, then turned to the remaining associate. "As for you, remain here and continue searching for the target."

"Yes, sir!"

The captured law officer was escorted from the room, and the superior agent soon followed. The remaining man on duty surveyed the area closely, as he scanned for any semblance of an inhuman aura. Since the barrier hadn't been broken he was certain the target was still in the room, he would've simply had to have flushed her out and then reported to his superiors.

At that moment, the sound of movement came from the demolished table, its legs broken and the main part split down the middle. He warily got to his hands and knees and slowly approached the broken piece of furniture. He carefully took hold of the broken half, and slowly raised it off the ground. No sooner than he did that a hand reached out, grabbed a hold of his tie and pulled him under.

* * *

Kuroshiro had hands cuffed behind his back, and was escorted through the halls of the captured police station, which was patrolled by the same black-clad men that had posed as government agents. The corridors were eerily quiet, and there was no sign of life save for the enemies who'd taken over the station. However he did notice patches of blood on the walls and the floor, yet there were no bodies. But what he saw was enough to signify there'd been casualties on his side during the surprise attack.

After a few minutes, he was brought before the door to one of the larger meeting rooms in the station, and roughly pushed inside, as the door was closed behind him. He quickly turned around, and heard the door being locked from the outside. "Let me out!" he shouted angrily, as he struggled with his cuffs.

"It is no use," a haunting voice spoke from behind him, "there is no escape from God's judgment."

The overly rigid officer turned to a horrifying sight. He saw a large pile of corpses at the far end of the wall. Just one look told him they were the bodies of his fellow law enforcers, along with the janitor, and the prisoners held in the underground jail. He saw the ceiling had been removed, which allowed the stack to be piled higher. He gasped as he saw Mason's body near the top, along with the lifeless form of a middle-aged Japanese man, clad in a conservative gray suit with matching slacks. "Taichou!" he cried out, horrified that his superior had perished, as had everyone else in the station. The only ones still alive were out on patrol, unaware of what just occurred. Moreover, he had no way of alerting them that the station would've been a deathtrap if they'd returned.

And then, his eyes went further up and he saw what appeared to be a figure atop the pile of corpses, its features concealed by what appeared to be a pair of large white feathery wings. "What in the world," the policeman asked, as he saw the figure began to straighten up. As it did, Kuroshiro gasped he he saw its legs weren't humanoid, but resembled those of a large bird. "What are you?"

The unknown being stood up straight, and opened its wings. Its upper body resembled that of a slender man, clad in a frilly white dress shirt with black slacks, split from its knees due to its inhuman legs. A deranged superior look was on its somewhat effeminate face, framed by shoulder length light green hair. "I am... your God."

* * *

Ayumu quickly turned the corner and raced down the corridor, as a hail of bullets was unleashed, and ricocheted in all directions. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, and thanked her lucky stars for her Shinso abilities, which included superhuman speed. But as she looked ahead, she saw several more enemy agents. She quickly dashed down the side corridor as yet another slew of bullets headed her way. She looked ahead, and saw the corridor turned left around fifteen feet further up. But before she reached it, three more black-clad enemies appeared, each armed with machine guns. She opened the door next to her and ducked inside as they opened fire.

The lead agent quickly reached into his rear pocket and produced his CB. "Attention all units! Target is cornered in munitions room! Converge on my signal, move in and neutralize the target!"

On the other side of the door, Ayumu paused for a moment to catch her breath. Again, she was thankful for her cursed abilities, which had saved her life after being shot earlier by the cowboy. She reached into her inner pocket, and produced the bullet she'd taken from Mason, along with several others from the enemies she'd encountered. She realized any other youkai might've already been killed at that point, which relieved and also disturbed. She feared the day the world found her out had come, as Pfaria had warned her at the academy.

She brushed her troubled thoughts aside, and finally took in her surroundings, and found herself in a weapons storeroom. Even though she'd only fought hand-to-hand her entirely life, she was knowledgeable of the various assault weapons and their functions. She knew they had the room surrounded, and would've moved in at any moment, so she had to have acted quickly. She looked over the door, and saw an entrance of the ventilation shaft. She hummed to herself, as she saw she had an escape route in case she was cornered.

She leaped over a large stack of heavy metal crates, and remained out of sight. She cautiously moved to the outer edge of the room, where she found a smaller wooden crate next to her. Even with the lack of light, she easily read the logo on the lid. "Fairy Tale," she said to herself. She examined the crate, and noted it had been nailed shut. Undaunted, she dug her fingernails under the lid, wedged her fingers inside, and ripped the lid off. She looked inside, and found it filled with modern-looking hand grenades, which made her grin. She surmised they were planning to destroy the station once they were finished, though she had a much better use for them. The incognito countess then picked up one of the heavier crates, which was almost a strain on her sealed muscles, and placed it front of the door. Along with a few others.

Five minutes later, loud banging sounds came from the other side of the door, which slowly buckled under the intense battering. Finally, the crates fell over and broken open, as several kinds of weapons and bullets fell onto the floor. Fifteen enemy agents cautiously made their way inside, two of which held a modified battering ram designed for such an occasion. They warily stepped over the fallen armaments, and began searching the perimeter. One of the agents found a suspicious-looking form, clad in the same business suit as Ayumu Akashiya, though indiscernible in the low light. He motioned to his comrades, who converged on his position. They soon surrounded the target, and the highest ranking officer looked back to his subordinates and nodded. The lights were turned on, and they found not Ayumu Akashiya, but a practice dummy in a bulletproof vest, with the target's suit over it.

"Up here, boys," a female voice coyly called out.

The agents looked up, and saw the target in the ventilation, a grenade in her hand and the pin clenched between her polished white teeth. She quickly pulled the pin. "Sorry, but your fairy tale ends here," she spoke in mock regret, as she tossed the grenade down and ducked into the shaft.

"Retreat!" the head agent shouted, moments before the grenade exploded, and engulfed the entire munitions room in a huge inferno.

* * *

Kuroshiro looked to the inhuman being, sheer disbelief on his stern face. "God," he asked in exasperation, "what sort of nonsense is this!"

"It it not nonsense," the sinister man replied, "I am the God of this world, and I have come to pass judgment on the heathens who dare attempt to exist outside the boundaries I Myself have established. Humans and youkai are not meant to coexist, one shall always seek to destroy the other. Segregation is the only means to maintain peace on this world."

"You are delusional!" the stern-faced officer retorted. "There's no such thing as youkai."

"How little you know, considering you have associated with one for many years, the deviant Ayumu Akashiya."

"Hold on! Ayumu-san can be a lot of things, but a youkai? That's going too far!"

"So you still do not believe," the inhuman being asked with mild irritation. "How unfortunate." He leaped off his perch, and flapped his huge wings which slowed his descent. A moment later, his birdlike talons landed firmly on the floor. "God does not appreciate unbelievers, they upset Him greatly. 'Tis a pity you must now die in your ignorance, the penalty of doubting God." He reached behind him, and produced what looked like a miniature golden harp. Kuroshiro tried to back away, though his hands were still cuffed, and he knew there were guards outside the doors. "Hear now the voice of your God, the last sound you shall ever hear."

Suddenly, an explosion was felt deeper inside the station. The Japanese officer surmised the direction it originated, and grimaced in horror. "Oh no, not the munitions room!"

"How very delightful," the self-proclaimed deity spoke with an insane smile, "she is coming for you. She too seeks an audience with God, this pleases Him."

A few minutes later, gunfire and the sounds of fighting came from the corridor outside the meeting room. It sounded even more intense than the brawl inside the interrogation room.

"Hold it right there!" the guards outside shouted and opened fire. Powerful strikes resounded from the hallway, coupled with pained screams.

Suddenly, the doors burst open, as the bodies of the two guards fell into the room and collapsed, both with broken teeth and various bruises on their faces. Kuroshiro looked down at the fallen agents, shocked that they'd been defeated so easily. He looked ahead, and saw the pink-haired attorney, her skirt torn on both sides, her suit missing, and bullet holes in her blouse. "Ayumu-san," he asked, a growing sense of fear in his heart as she entered the room, stepping over her defeated foes.

"Welcome, Ayumu Akashiya," the winged madman spoke in his fanatical voice, "what drives you to seek God? Have you come to beg for your life, or is it you have realized your iniquities and now seek redemption?"

"Get over yourself," the legal defender replied scornfully. "You have no idea what you've wrought in your arrogance, but I intend to enlighten you on that. But don't expect me to be so merciful after what you've done, Mister _God,_" she concluded with the harshest of contempt.

Kuroshiro couldn't help but tremble in her presence. Though he knew she'd always been an intimidating figure in the courtroom, it was nothing like the barely restrained anger she currently displayed. She walked towards the bound officer and stopped behind him. "Hold still," she spoke softly. She took hold of his cuffed wrists, and pulled them apart. The officer gasped as he heard the chains being broken, and how easily it had been done.

"Ayumu," the policeman began fearfully as he looked back to his acquaintance, "what are you?"

"You're about to find out," she replied, regret and resignation in her voice. "I'm sorry, Masato. I never wanted you to find out about this."

She then moved from his position and stopped before the mastermind behind the station attack. "You claim to be a divine being," she began with a burning stare, "you claim your will is absolute on this world. But you're nothing but a delusional fool, Gyokuro should've briefed you more thoroughly before you challenged me. You have made the biggest mistake of your life," she spoke coldly, as her delicate hands went to the cross rings. "It will be, your last," she concluded as she removed her rings.

Without warning, a massive pillar of immeasurable black energy shot from the floor beneath her, and blasted right through the ceiling. The whole room began to tremble, as if an earthquake had suddenly hit the area, even though they were nowhere near a faultline. Kuroshiro struggled to remain standing, as he'd never felt such a powerful force in his entire life. He looked on in disbelief at the unnatural phenomenon, and the woman concealed within. "_**AYUMU!**_"

* * *

Holy smokes, talk about razing the roof.

"_Oh dear, they made Haha-ue angry, I hope they have a last will and testament._"

Uh yeah, what you said. Anyway, what will occur when Ayumu finally reveals her true self? Will Moka be able to stop Pfaria from killing her father? And will her remaining friends be able to stop her from killing her sister?

"And when are we getting to the good part? Bloody hell, you're as bad as the narrator from my tale!"

You be quiet, you're not even in this fic! Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter VIII The Fallen Idol


	11. Part II Chapter VIII

A/N: Hello everyone, hope those of you who've endured the numerous snowstorms over the past month are holding up well. Anyway, I apologize for the delay, as this chapter was one of the most difficult to write. But after countless revisions, it's finally done.

"So does Tsukune-san kill the old man, desu?"

"He's not even in our dimension, Yuakri-chan, how can he?"

"Who do you idiots think you're fooling, I am eternal, I can never die!"

Hoboy, here we go again. And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter VIII  
The Fallen Idol

Rokurou Tsubaki remained on lookout near the barrier perimeter. Though he was merely a recruiter rather than an active field agent, the devious youkai had been assigned to the mission per order of his division leader, Kanade Kamiya. And though the self-proclaimed God had been acting very peculiar since he returned from his summons to headquarters, he'd also come with an important mission directly from the top: the elimination of one Ayumu Akashiya, whose existence within the human world was a direct affront against Fairy Tale's agenda. There'd always been rumors that the CEO held a grudge against Akashiya for unknown reasons, and once she'd finally been located, the next step was academic.

The mission was proceeding relatively well, and with the portable barrier generators in operation, no one on the outside was aware of what had transpired. He'd overheard a radio transmission that the target was at large, but with the agents assigned to the team, led by Kamiya himself, he felt the situation was well in hand.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from somewhere inside the precinct, and gunfire could've been heard. Frantic voices called out within the corridors, coupled with hurried footsteps, and Tsubaki quickly realized the situation had taken a turn for the worse. He shuddered to himself, as he knew if the barriers ever malfunctioned, the fires inside the station would've been visible, and they would've been exposed and forced to abort the mission.

And then, a titanic youki was felt deep within the station, which shook the entire building. A huge beam of black light blasted through the roof, as well as the top of the barrier dome. A huge hole was clearly punched through, and the area around the breach began to crack loudly. He quickly pulled out his CB and activated the device. "Kamiya-sama!" he yelled frantically. "This... insane demonic aura just blasted through the barrier! We need to pull out before the humans discover us! Kamiya-sama, answer me!"

Suddenly, the air around him grew progressively colder, and the rumbling of thunder was heard from above. The fearful recruiter looked up, and saw black clouds had covered the sky, which turned to the darkest shade of night. Bolts of lightning streaked through the ominous sky, and the entire area was saturated by the immeasurable youki which dwarfed that of the division leader. It well surpassed even those of the other division leaders, and the Fairy Tale recruiter began to believe it was on the same level as the Three Dark Lords. Mortal terror filled his heart, as it seemed the team inside had incurred the ire of the Devil itself. "Alert! Alert! Malevolent aura detected! Request immediate withdrawal from mission area! Someone, anyone, answer me!"

* * *

Kuroshiro was frozen in place, terrified of the eruption of undeniably inhuman energy before him. What scared him the most was the phenomenon was caused by someone he thought he knew, the powerful and feared attorney Ayumu Akashiya. But at that moment, after he'd seen her shot only to reappear in the meeting room very much alive, and apparently unhindered despite the evidence of several more gunshot wounds, he was becoming frightfully aware that the pink-haired woman wasn't who she claimed to be.

Finally, the black pillar was dispersed, which knocked the Japanese officer onto the floor from the sheer force. When he finally managed to regain his bearings, he looked back to where the pillar once arose. Standing in the epicenter was a tall woman who exuded inhuman power from seemingly every fiber of her being. Her oppressive presence made her seem far more imposing, as if she were fifty feet tall rather than her usual height. The meeting room actually seemed too small for one of her undeniable stature. She stood in an imposing stance, her clenched fists by her sides. She wore a long black dress, which left her defined arms bare and had a rather low cut. The dress clung tightly to her curvaceous form, so one could've easily discerned its shape. Her well-toned abdomen was visible through the dark fabric, as was her ample bosom. Though her figure redefined the term exquisite, her posture and stance elicited fear rather than lust, far more than he'd ever felt in the courtroom. The lower part of her dress flowed on its own power, which revealed her long powerful legs, seen through the high slit on the side of her raiment. Her blinding ivory hair flowed freely, long since loosed from its bun. The woman's heart-shaped face was very pale, and her chin was slightly lowered for a more menacing glare, completed by her glowing red eyes and furrowed brow. Kuroshiro took a closer look, and cringed even more fearfully as he saw a pair of fangs that protruded from beneath her upper lip, which was colored a bloody shade. The woman Kuroshiro had known as Ayumu Akashiya was clearly gone, replaced by the dark goddess before him, who filled him with a terror he'd never thought possible.

"Your reign of terror ends here, false god!" the transformed woman announced in a deeper, and far more commanding voice, which dwarfed the one she'd always used in the courtroom. "Prepare to be crushed underfoot by Countess Akasha Bloodriver!" Bolts of lightning crashed down from outside, which made her introduction even more dramatic.

The dark-haired man trembled uncontrollably in the ivory-haired woman's presence. Of all the intimidating individuals he'd ever met in the office, the courthouse, or on the streets, they all seemed like insects compared to the dark goddess before him. The only thing that kept him sane was the fact that her ire wasn't directed at him, but at the sinister winged being who'd murdered virtually everyone in the precinct with his devilish voice. Kuroshiro warily looked at him, and saw that even though he seemed minute compared to the transformed woman, his imperious expression didn't waver, much to the lieutenant's disbelief.

"Oh," the winged being began with an intrigued expression that seemed to defy reason, "you say that this is the strength of the Shinso? You think that you are more powerful than I? More powerful than God?" He slowly lowered his chin, and a brooding stare crossed his features, aimed at his adversary. "I don't appreciate that."

Kuroshiro's mouth dropped open like a rock, his eyes widened in utter shock. "What kind of a-" He quickly ceased his protests as he saw the winged creature began to strum an eerie tune on his harp, and sung in perfect synchronization. The law enforcer quickly cringed and covered his ears, as he desperately tried to block out the evildoer's song, which he feared was the same one that killed all his fellow officers. He squinted ahead, and his eyes went wide as he saw the floor was rippling before him. The rippling became more intense in several places, and from each one an inhuman creature arose, each covered with watery scales rather than actual skin. They had fins along their forearms, forelegs and back, and their heads looked more like that of an aquatic creature rather than a man. "What on earth," the officer asked as he cautiously uncovered his ears.

"Mermen," the former attorney spoke up, "so he did come prepared."

The winged being laughed in maniacal ecstasy as the creatures filled the suddenly crowded room. "Go my servants!" he commanded as he pointed towards the unlikely pair. "Crush these infidels!"

The aquatic creatures wasted no time, as they reared their heads back, and began emitting a slew of watery streams, many of which aimed at the black-clad woman. She shielded her face with her arms, but was pummeled by the streams regardless. Kuroshiro noticed crackles of electricity around her body as she was being assailed. "Ayumu!" he called out.

"Masato," she replied sternly, as she gazed out of the corner of her eye towards the policeman, "get out of here! I'll handle this!"

The officer would've protested, but then a powerful blast of water barely missed him, and streaked forth inches from his head. He looked behind him, and saw the assault had actually punched a hole in the wall. He jumped in fright, as he quickly realized the blast was highly pressurized, which meant he would've been badly hurt if he'd taken a direct attack. He quickly found the door, made a mad dash towards it and ducked out of the room, just as another blast struck the door and made a noticeable dent in the steel exit.

Akasha looked forth towards the water-dwelling throng, glad that her inflexible associate had escaped. The last person she wanted to have discovered her secret, not to mention the existence of youkai, was Kuroshiro. With him no longer present, she focused back on her enemies, and noted one of the mermen got down into a crouched position, and began tumbling rapidly in place. Soon it made a beeline for the countess, who stepped forth and punted the oncoming enemy like a soccer ball. It was sent into its brethren, and scattered four of them about the room like bowling pins. Another merman attempted the same tactic, and it rapidly tumbled towards the ancient daiyoukai. Despite the fact that her power was being drained by the watery assaults, she moved forward and kicked the oncoming enemy, which knocked over several more of its cohorts and sent it past the pile of bodies and through the wall behind it. She soon saw her efforts had created a break in the line of enemies, and quickly ran towards it, as several powerful streams of water rushed past her. She quickly got behind one merman, and nailed him in the small of the back with a spinning reverse back kick that sent it flying across the room, and through the opposite wall. She reached out, grabbed another enemy by the back of the neck, and hurled him into another group of mermen, which sent them all sprawling to the floor. The countess then ran towards the remaining throng, took to the air and unleashed a devastating cyclone kick, which knocked the aquatic beings about like flies.

Akasha landed on her feet, and found herself the only one still standing amidst the crowd of youkai, save for the winged demon who'd caused all the chaos. She turned her brooding crimson gaze towards him, which shot waves of murderous intent towards him. "You're next," she spoke in an icy voice of nonnegotiable, "Mister _God._"

The green-haired fiend merely smiled in megalomania, seemingly oblivious to the imminent danger before him. "So you think you can break through my barrier so easily," he asked with an insane look in his eyes. "Akasha, you really do upset me." He strummed his harp again, and began to sing a haunting melody. She looked about, and saw all the bodies of the fallen mermen began to glow with an eerie white aura. She hissed as she saw the wounds and broken bones she'd inflicted on them began to heal, until they were in pristine condition. Her aggravation grew as she saw them regaining consciousness, and then their footing, which essentially put her back to square one.

Livid at what had just occurred, she sent an infuriated glare at the siren, who was unrepentant of his actions. "The power of God's voice is absolute," he boasted in his eerie voice. "Not only can I revive my subjects as many times as I choose, but I can summon more as well." He sang once more, and the floor ripped like water, as more mermen arose from below. Soon Akasha was trapped between her winged adversary and a virtual aquatic army. "There is no salvation for those who challenge God," he declared. "Resign yourself to the fate he has sagely assigned you."

"Go to Hell," the countess remarked with a sour look.

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire filled the room, coupled with a savage male war cry. Akasha looked behind her, and saw Kuroshiro had returned, a intense stare on his face and armed with a machine gun he most likely acquired from one of the fallen enemy agents. He fired straight into the throng of mermen, who were promptly cut down under the hail of bullets, as their monstrous blood spewed from their wounds.

"This is **my** police station!" he shouted over his attack. "How dare you turn it into a freakshow!"

The royal vampire noticed her own opponents had become distracted, but noted her acquaintance was in full battle rage, so she knew caution was required at that juncture. She was also a little hurt, as she wondered if he'd meant her, or their common foe. Even though she admittedly felt responsible for what had befallen the precinct, she pushed aside her guilty thoughts and focused on the battle. She rushed forward, spun like a ballerina and nailed the closest one with a reverse roundhouse kick that sent him flying across the room. She grabbed another by the back of the neck and hurled him flying into his cohorts with her nigh incomparable strength. She then unloaded with a tremendous roundhouse kick that knocked three more mermen across the room, nailed another with a high kick that sent him up through the removed ceiling and up into the next floor, grabbed two more beside her and smashed their heads together with a sickening crunch. They both fell limply to the floor, unmoving by her feet.

A few moments later, their combined efforts had reduced the water-dwelling opposition to nothing, as the floor was covered with their bodies. Akasha glanced at the winged being, who had a look of sheer disbelief on his face. She surmised the defeat of his followers had actually brought him back to a semblance of sanity. She then looked to Kuroshiro, who cast aside his automatic weapon, reached into his coat and pulled out a New NANBU M60, which the royal vampire knew was his weapon of choice. "Alright, you maniac!" he began angrily, trembling with barely controlled rage as he pointed his gun at the inhuman being. "Down on the floor with your hands behind your head!"

The white-haired woman's eyes shrunk into little black dots and her jaw dropped like a stone in water. "Is he actually going to try and arrest him," she asked herself, then slapped her hand over her forehead. "Baka."

The slender man sent a foreboding glare towards the policeman, who didn't flinch under his gaze, much to his annoyance. "You would dare presume yourself above God," he asked indignantly. "Such impudence, you have now exceeded the point of forgiveness. Hear now the voice of God," he continued as he spread his arms out wide, "and die."

The countess quickly shook off her disbelief and sprung into action. She rushed forward with her celerity, and grabbed onto his throat before he could've sung a note. The siren's eyes bulged in response, and gagging sounds came from him as he desperately tried to break the crushing hold on his larynx, but it was all for naught, as the vampire gave him a scathing look of imminent death. "Muzzle it." She grabbed his shoulder with her free hand and kneed the winged being hard in the stomach, which made him groan in obvious agony, his eyes wide with shock. She then followed up with another knee to the stomach, released him for a moment, spun back on her toes and unleashed a devastating reverse back kick, which caught him right in the sternum. The self-proclaimed deity was propelled back into the pile of bodies his cohorts had created and sent them all scattering about the room. His own landed near the back of the room, concealed amidst the layer of corpses that covered the floor.

Akasha remained with her leg extended for several long seconds, which demonstrated her unbelievable leg strength and flexibility. She detected a faint energy signature from her enemy, so she deemed he was no longer a threat, and placed her right foot back on the floor. She cautiously turned her gaze towards the lone officer in the room, and felt waves of rage intermixed with fear within him. He quickly realized she was looking at him, and instinctively aimed his gun at her. The countess sighed heavily, and slowly closed her eyes, as she wasn't surprised by his reaction. "What are you going to do, Masato," she asked, a mournful look in her slitted crimson irises, "shoot me?"

The dark-haired man gasped in response, his whole form trembling with fear.

"I'm sorry," the white-haired woman continued, "I know how much this must upset you. Believe me when I say this is not how I would've revealed this to you."

"What's going on here," the usually calm lieutenant asked in a frightened voice. "What are you?"

The daiyoukai exhaled to herself, closed her eyes and gave her head a mournful shake. "I suppose there's no denying it now." She opened her eyes again and looked sadly at the terrified man before her. "My real name is Akasha Bloodriver. And, in case you hadn't already guessed, I am a vampire."

Kuroshiro gasped at what he'd just heard. The countess wasn't surprised, as she surmised he'd thought youkai were just a myth, since humans caused enough problems themselves, which saddened her greatly. However, she knew the attack on the police station might've exposed the existence of youkai to the world, and if those in power made the connection and deemed them a threat, she knew well what could've easily followed. And with Mikogami gone and the academy's future uncertain, the chances of salvaging the dream of coexistence had grown incredibly slim.

Suddenly, the crackling of dark energy came from the back of the room, where their still unknown enemy had fallen. She quickly turned her gaze in that direction, and saw their enemy had begun to rise from the floor.

"Impossible!" the Japanese officer declared. "He's still alive?"

Akasha tightened her fists by her sides, as she silently cursed her miscalculation. She looked forth, and saw the siren was on his feet, but completely hunched over. But even in that position, she could've seen he'd completely shed his human guise, as his shirt was gone, and his arms were much longer than they'd been before his apparent defeat. But what initially got her attention was the dark energy within him, one she'd felt recently, and it truly frightened her to have detected it within the enemy before him. "_This aura,_" she thought to herself, "_it can't be! Gyokuro, what have you done!_"

"**God,**" the hunched over being spoke in a distorted voice that no longer even remotely sounded human, and then suddenly straightened up, a look of satanic rage in his eyes. "_**GOD CANNOT DIE!**_"

The white-haired woman immediately streaked towards Kuroshiro and hurled him across the room. A split second later, the transformed siren roared in his unbridled rage, and released a savage slew of deadly feathers from his wings. The legendary Shinso took the full brunt of the attack, and screamed as her body was pierced dozens of times in a matter of seconds. She grimaced in obvious pain, as countless feathers were embedded in her body.

"Akasha-san!" the policeman called out, horrified by what he'd just seen.

"I'll be alright!" the countess shot back, as she had her hand over her left eye. "It'll take a lot more than this to kill me!" She turned back to her enemy, even more annoyed than before. She aimed her right hand at him, and a blast of her youki shot forth towards the siren. But instead of damaging him directly, it merely spread over his form. She raised her arm upwards, and her captured opponent levitated into the air, and gasped as he realized his helplessness. The countess began spinning her hand rapidly, and her opponent involuntarily mimicked her motions, as his body moved like an out-of-control Ferris wheel. His terror-filled inhuman screams filled the room, for his plight wasn't as comical as it appeared. She stopped her hand in a downward position, and the siren's body was hung upside down in midair. She raised it high overhead, and vicious thrust it down, which in turn drilled her opponent headfirst into the floor. The floor shook for several seconds from the thundering impact.

Kuroshiro warily lowered his gun, still in shock over what he'd just witnessed. The next thing he saw was the recently exposed vampire grunting in pain as she began extracting her enemy's projectiles from her body. The dark-haired man said nothing, as he was certain if he'd taken the attack rather than her, he would've undoubtedly been cut to pieces. Even though common sense told him to retreat, he slowly approached the former attorney, who was still extracting feathers, which landed on the floor by her feet. He still had his honor, and he wouldn't have refuted who'd just saved his life from a very painful and merciless demise. "Are you alright," he asked nervously.

Akasha turned towards him, impressed that he hadn't fled after what just occurred. "Didn't I already tell you," she asked with a sweet smile, her hand still covering her left eye, "it'll take a lot more than this to kill me."

The dark-haired man looked on, and was shocked as he saw the countless puncture wounds all over her torso, legs, arms, and even her face. He'd seen murder victims that hadn't been stabbed so many times, yet his acquaintance didn't seem overly inhibited despite her condition. His eyes went wide as he saw the wounds began to mend themselves, and were completely healed in a matter of moments. However, her dress still retained the numerous tears, so there were slivers of her pale flesh visible. Kuroshiro couldn't have helped but look on in awe at the divine body of Akasha Bloodriver, which had gone from badly wounded to unblemished in a matter of seconds. He then realized what he as doing, and turned away abruptly with an embarrassed flush to his cheeks.

The countess couldn't help but chuckle at his actions. Rather than feeling embarrassed, she was actually quite pleased by the attention she'd received. She knew it had been years since any man had looked so longingly at her, and had almost forgotten how good it had felt. She then sighed to herself, as she remembered their situation. "Masato," she spoke up sternly.

The thirtysomething law enforcer looked back to her. He was shocked when he saw her left eye, which he'd assumed was seriously injured, was unmarked. Never had he imagined such an injury could've been healed so quickly and completely. Coupled with the rest of her healed wounds, one could've never guessed she'd ever been hurt during the battle. As he stood dumbfounded by the sight, he felt her slender yet powerful arm around his waist, and felt himself pulled to her side. He found himself quite nervous at being in such close proximity with the daiyoukai, even though she'd made no threatening moves towards him.

Akasha turned her head towards him, and furrowed her brow as she gave him a serious look. "Hold on."

The usually straight-laced officer had no idea what she had in mind, so he wrapped both arms around her shoulders. Suddenly, he felt her aura again, which seemed to surround both of them. He opened his eyes, and then screamed as Akasha seemed to fly upwards, headed towards the huge hole she'd created earlier. He clung even tighter, terrified more than he'd ever been in his life.

A few moments later, he saw dark clouds above, and felt cold air against his body. He shivered as the white-haired woman landed a few feet from where she'd just emerged. He looked about in disbelief, shocked that he was actually outside the station. Yet when he looked down, he found him on a solid surface, but it was translucent, as the top of the station was several feet below him. "Where in the world are we," he asked with wide-eyed fright.

"We're on top of the barrier," the vampire explained.

Kuroshiro processed what he'd just heard, and then recalled what happened back in the interrogation room. He gasped in horror as he looked to his pale associate. "You mean they created one over the _entire_ precinct?"

"Yes, that's how they've concealed all their atrocities from the outside world. Had I not released my seals, no one would've ever guessed anything was amiss."

The dark-haired man involuntarily released her and leaned back in disbelief. He never imagined the enemy could've possibly been so resourceful, which disturbed him greatly, almost as much as the woman formerly known as Ayumu Akashiya, who'd revealed herself to be a youkai with unimaginable abilities that he'd thought only existed in unrealistic manga novels, which he'd rescinded years ago and never wanted to be reminded of again.

Akasha released his waist and then stood before him. "Masato, if you slide down from here," she explained as she gestured to the barrier beneath her feet, "you should be able to reach the ground without too much trouble."

"What about you," the officer inquired with a worried look.

"I'm going back to finish that false god," she replied with a stern look, one she'd worn many times in the courtroom. "He'll never pass judgment over another innocent soul again."

"Wait!" Kuroshiro quickly protested.

"There's no time for debate!" Akasha retorted sharply. "Now that the barrier's been damaged, it won't be long before the authorities arrive. I can't let them discover what's happened here, it could lead to an all-out war! I can't let that happen!" she concluded with a sad look. "So please, let me finish this, it's the least I can do after what's already happened."

The troubled man sighed gravely. He disliked her course of action, yet he knew he couldn't have physically stopped her, nor was there any time to have convinced her otherwise. He realized he'd been caught up in a matter he didn't fully understand, and it irritated him that he seemed so helpless during the situation. "Alright, Akasha-san," he finally conceded.

The white-haired woman gave him a sad smile, as a lone tear ran from her ruby irises. "Thank you, Masato," she spoke quietly, and gave him a warm embrace. "And I'm sorry," she concluded, as her tears ran down her pale cheeks and onto the shoulder of his suit. She released him, turned back towards the hole, and promptly dropped out of sight.

"Akasha-san," Kuroshiro spoke gravely. He was left with so many questions, and he feared he would've been denied any answers, for he suspected that after the battle was finished, he would've never seen her again.

* * *

Akasha descended down the hole create by her unsealing, and gracefully landed on her feet back in the meeting room. No sooner than she landed that the same aura she'd felt earlier resonated violently. She looked ahead, and saw the form of her enemy, who'd clearly recovered from her previous attacks. She noted his torso had become longer after his transformation, and that his visage looked anything but humanoid, considering his teeth had become jagged and his nose was gone. Even his neck had lengthened, and looked segmented in appearance. She braced herself, as she prepared to battle the true form of the siren.

"**You are a shrewd woman, Akasha,**" the youkai began in his distorted voice. "**How can you fight God this far? It is deplorable!**" he declared indignantly. "**Fine, I shall rend the flesh from your bones! Killing you is just a start, there will be songs written to the beauty of the pain I shall inflict upon you!**"

"And here I thought you couldn't get any _more_ inane," the daiyoukai replied with an irritated scowl. She grabbed the front of her gown, ripped to both sides, and then cast it down several feet from her. She stood defiantly before him, clad only in her bra, panties, garter belt, stockings, and shoes, which did virtually nothing to conceal her voluptuous and yet well-defined physique, honed from centuries of intense training and grueling battles. Hers was the body of a wrathful goddess of war, who planned to enact on judgment on the unrepentant fiend before her. "Prepare yourself, false god, for I shall be the one who personally sends you straight to Hell!"

"**Do not overestimate yourself,**" the insane demon retorted, "**Hell is reserved only for those who dare defy their God.**" He lifted his head back, his fanged mouth agape, as immense and malevolent youki was channeled into it. "**Feel His infinite might, and wail in pitiful despair as your soul is torn to shreds!**" He unleashed a thundering song, which burst forth from his mouth like a sonic boom. The countess quickly plugged her ears, as her entire being was assailed by the destructive youki, which made the entire room tremble in response. "_**BREAK INTO PIECES, AKASHA!**_" the siren's voice bellowed over the cacophony. Walls began to crumble from the sonic onslaught, the ceiling from two stories up began to follow suit, as fragments fell down onto the floor. A couple of broken sections directly fell on the elder vampire, who staggered visibly from the impact. Suddenly, a titanic explosion of dark energy erupted, which sent all the bodies and debris scattering about the entire area. The deranged demon shielded himself with his wings, and struggled to hold his ground amidst the eruption of demonic energy before him.

The self-proclaimed deity cautiously lowered his wings, and his inhuman eyes went wide at what they beheld. He saw his enemy before him, still alive even after his most powerful killing song, and bathed in a titanic demonic aura that transcended his own. A look of sheer terror appeared on his twisted face, as the horrific sight awakened a small sliver of sanity within him.

"**Did you really think you could break **_**me,**_" the countess replied in a powerful dual voice, as her eyes seemed to blaze with the very flames of Hell itself. "**I am a Shinso, a queen of the night! You were a fool to challenge me, and Gyokuro was a fool to assign you such a task. Neither of you shall be forgiven for what you've wrought here! And you, false god,**" she continued, as she pointed at the quivering creature, "**shall be first.**" She bent her knees slightly, and brought up her clenched fists. Her aura blazed with even greater intensity around her, which vaporized any debris near her. "_**SHINSO SYBILLIUM!**_" She rushed forward, then seemed to slide towards her enemy as she nailed him with a thundering side kick, and then vanished. He would've gone sprawling, but then Akasha reappeared behind his left shoulder, nailed him with another kick and vanished again. She then reappeared to his right and struck him right in the kidney with another kick. She nailed him eight more times at different angles, then twelves images of her appeared around him and smashed him simultaneously with superhuman strikes. The combined attacks resulted in the sound of breaking bones, and a great surge of blood erupted from his fanged maw. Before he could've collapsed, Akasha reappeared before him, grabbed him by throat and flew up through the hole in the roof, with the siren in tow. "**This ends **_**now!**_" she declared, as she released his throat and nailed him with a high kick, which sent him skywards. She then flew up past him with her unparalleled speed, turned back and streaked towards him with a diving kick. "_**OHODO SHI EI!**_" she shouted, and nailed him with her final attack.

* * *

Kuroshiro had managed to reach the ground, and looked on from the streets, as did a slew of onlookers. Sirens blared from behind, which quickly got his attention. He turned, and saw several squad cars headed his way, the remnants of his precinct who were mercifully out on patrol during the attack.

"Lieutenant!" a male officer's voice called out urgently as he exited the car and headed for his superior. "Lieutenant, what's happening in the station? We've been incommunicado for hours!"

"What's with that weird cloud over the station," another officer urgently asked. "It looks like something out of creepy horror movie."

"What the hecht is that!" a third policeman declared, as he pointed towards the sky.

The dark-haired man turned, and saw two figures in the sky, one being carried by the throat. He heard the startled gasps of his subordinates, who he knew weren't trained for anything so extraordinary, the same as him. He knew exactly who they were, but said nothing. He watched as Akasha kicked her enemy skyward, and flew ahead of him faster than he could've even blinked. He looked on as she greeted her enemy with one last kick, which sent him hurtling like a meteor down into the police station. A colossal rumbling sound came from the enclosed building, which felt like an intense tremor. The already damaged barrier was completely shattered by the titanic impact, which showed the precinct collapsing before everyone. Everyone immediately got onto the street in response, and any stray onlookers quickly fled the scene. The tremors continued for several long seconds before they finally ceased.

Kuroshiro warily rose to feet, and looked at the scene before him. He saw a humongous cloud of dust that hovered over the entire area. After almost thirty seconds, the cloud dissipated, and exposed what lied beyond it. The lieutenant and his men gasped in horror as they saw the police station in ruins, even the parking lot around the building had been destroyed, like a giant sinkhole had opened underneath and consumed everything. The rumbling thunderclouds that had covered the sky above the station had also vanished, and the Japanese officer saw no trace of the incognito countess who'd saved his life.

"My word," one of the patrolmen uttered, his face blank with shock.

"What on earth happened here," a second officer asked.

"Was that an angel we saw just now," a female officer interjected.

Kuroshiro exhaled bitterly through clenched teeth, as he knew she'd referred to the leader of the precinct assault. "He was no angel," he spoke in a hard voice, "he was a devil."

"What?"

"Lieutenant," a fourth officer urgently spoke up, "there's someone coming out of the station!"

The straight-laced policeman looked forth, and saw a figure stumbling away from the wreckage. Though the streetlights near the station were destroyed, the flashing lights and headlights from the squad cars compensated for their loss. He was able to discern the figure was male, and badly covered with dirt. He wore a gray tank top with dark slacks, and had his dirtied arm covering his face. The stranger turned around, and Kuroshiro could've made out his full head of unruly light brown hair, as the figure looked towards the wreckage behind him.

"No!" the stranger exclaimed incredulously. "Kamiya-sama!"

The lieutenant recalled his captors had referred to their leader by the same name, and promptly produced his gun. "Hold it right there!" he shouted towards the stranger.

The suspicious man spun around, and saw a slew of policemen and women ahead of him, with blaring lights shining in his beady eyes. He grimaced as he shielded his face, which exposed his jagged teeth.

The female officer gasped at the sight. "What is he," she asked fearfully.

"He's a dangerous criminal!" Kuroshiro shot back. "Don't let him escape!"

"Are you alright, Lieutenant," another subordinate asked with a quizzical look.

"I'm fine! Now keep him surrounded, that's an order!"

The others looked to him in confusion, but quickly remembered their training and aimed their guns at the unruly looking man.

The vicious-looking figure glared hatefully at the small group of law enforcers, visibly displeased with the recent turn of events. With a savage growl he actually rushed them. The lieutenant was surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered and unloaded with a single shot to the leg, and his underlings followed his lead, and the suspicious being promptly fell to the street.

The dark-haired man wore a grim expression on his face as he approached the fallen suspect, his gun aimed right at him. He saw what appeared to be headphones around his neck, and followed the cord down into his left pants pocket. He saw the clearly inhuman being had bared his sharp teeth in agony and hatred towards him as he stopped a couple of feet away. "Give yourself up!" the stern officer spoke sharply. "It's over!"

The suspect growled at him, livid at his predicament. "You haven't won, humans," he began in a coarse, spiteful voice. "Your world, will soon be ours." He reached for his headphones, and placed them upon his ears. He then reached into his pocket, and pulled out what appeared to be a high-tech audio player. He pressed a button on the device, and screamed in intense agony for several long seconds. Blood ran from his bulging eyes as well as his ears, yet despite that he wore a defiant grin on his agonized face."Coexistence, ha!" he spoke with a blank look of triumph. "It's nothing more... than a... fairy tale," he concluded, as his eyes closed for the last time.

The usually composed Kuroshiro screamed in rage, furious that the suspect had killed himself and thus taken whatever information he held to the grave. He turned in a huff and stormed away from the scene, ignoring the questions of the officers present at the scene.

* * *

The disgruntled Kuroshiro stood across the street from the demolished precinct, still in shock over what had just occurred. He knew it would've been viewed as a terrorist act, or possibly a yakuza assault. He dreaded what would've occurred had the whole truth been known, though he hadn't the means to have concealed it.

He looked to his left, and briefly got sight of a figure disappearing into a nearby alley, as a wealth of ivory hair flowed behind. He excused himself from the questioning, and made his way towards the alley.

Once he entered , he found it was barely lit, and not a soul in sight. He progressed around fifty feet into the alley, and still found nothing. He sighed to himself, and wondered if his eyes had played tricks on him. After what had occurred that day, he knew he wouldn't have been surprised.

He turned around and prepared to head back to his demolished workplace. Once he did he saw a tall woman in a long black dress before him, her eyes glowing bright red within the dimly lit passageway. Kuroshiro gulped fiercely, as it was all he could've done to have prevented screaming at that moment.

"Masato, listen to me," she spoke in a low, urgent voice. "You must forget what you've seen here, for your own sake."

The dark-haired man recovered, and gave her an incredulous look. "You're telling me to forget that over three-quarters of the precinct are now dead, that the station is in ruins? How can you expect me to ignore all that?"

"You must!" Akahsa insisted with a fierce expression. "If you get any more involved, you will die! I can't let that happen."

"And I can't let a menace to society roam unchecked and threaten _more_ innocent people!" the precinct survivor shot back. "That's against everything I believe in! Criminals like this belong behind bars, not out on the streets. Help us stop this maniac, before more innocents die!"

The white-haired woman took his shoulders in a very tight grip, which made the officer wince in pain. "You don't understand," she spoke sternly. "She is a vampire, like myself. If you go after her, it won't be just you who dies." She gave him a sad look, despite her crushing grip upon him. "Please, forget what you've seen here! Don't throw your life away for my sake! Did you forget it was me who demolished the police station? Tragedies like this will continue if you remain around me!"

"That's not true!" Kuroshiro retorted, still very much in pain. "It was that false god who killed my men, not you!"

"He was after _me,_ Masato," the daiyoukai replied pointedly, as she solemnly closed her eyes, "and I can't endanger any more lives with my presence."

"Akasha-" the dark-haired man protested, but was interrupted when his captor opened her eyes again, which glowed with an immense crimson aura. He gasped in response, and then found himself unable to think, as it seemed his very consciousness was paralyzed by the vampire's powerful gaze.

"**You will forget what you've seen today,**" the former attorney spoke in a commanding, dual voice. "**You never knew Ayumu Akashiya, nor will you remember any of the events concerning her. Sleep now, Masato Kuroshiro. Once you awaken, you shall act as you always have, with no knowledge of youkai.**" She watched as the officer's head went limp, only her grasp kept him upright. She then reached around him, and held him in a soft embrace. "And I'm sorry," she whispered into his ear, as a tear ran down her pale cheek. She then knelt down, and gently laid his body onto the asphalt by her feet.

"Lieutenant!" a voice called out from the other end of the alleyway, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Akasha briefly glanced behind her, then leaped up and disappeared out of sight.

* * *

The alley quickly become filled with activity, as the group of officers on patrol before the disaster found their superior unconscious on the alley floor. High above them, a sad woman in a long black dress watched from the rooftop of a nearby building.

"I'm sorry," she said again in a barely audible voice, "this is not how I wanted it to end." She looked to her ring, and sensed the energies of her daughters, and felt their turmoil. "But I must go now, my children need me. I cannot fail them again." She stood up straight, and solemnly bowed her head. "Farewell, Masato, we shall not meet again." She concentrated her youki, and the very night seemed to converge around her, until it engulfed her entire being. Once the phenomenon had passed, the woman formerly known as Ayumu Akashiya had vanished, with no trace of her existence left behind.

* * *

Tsukune continued to run through the seemingly endless darkness, as he desperately tried to catch up with the pink-haired woman, who'd vanished earlier with her lifeless alter ego in her arms. "Moka-san," he spoke in between urgent breaths, "don't do this. Not after everything we've been through together! It can't, it can't end like this!" He began running faster, as he felt his missing friend's presence was growing increasingly fainter. "_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"

Suddenly, the darkness faded from around him, and a familiar area appeared before him. He saw what appeared to be his house ahead of him, but it was being engulfed in flames, just like the time he'd fought against Kuyou. He quickly looked about the area, and saw no other houses being afflicted but his own. He also detected no trace of his old enemy, but instinctively knew there was danger ahead of him. A familiar girl's scream came from the second floor, which he knew only too well. "Kyou-chan!" he cried out, and then without thinking how, jumped up and flew towards the second story window.

He crashed through the flaming wall, and found himself in a small bedroom, which had clearly been attacked, as evidenced by the demolished furniture and smoke coming through the open doorway. But that wasn't what initially got his attention. He quickly got sight of his older cousin, who was being constrained by a silver-haired woman with a menacing aura, whose mouth was firmly attached to her neck. He immediately became furious, not only because his relative was being attacked, but because her assailant wasn't as she appeared. With a fierce growl, he reared back and threw a massive blow towards the charlatan. But before the blow connected, she merely turned into mist and vanished, which made him tumble forward a few steps.

"Ah!" a male voice screamed in horror. "Another demon!"

Tsukune looked about, and his anger gave way to shock as he saw what appeared to be himself, dressed in nondescript cyan pajamas and cowering by the edge of the room. "What the-" he exclaimed with a flabbergasted look. "What am I doing over there?"

At that moment, a cloud of mist appeared nearby, and coalesced into the form of the same woman who'd attacked Kyouko. "How dare you stand between a vampire and her meal," she spoke with an insulted scowl. "Insipid creature, you have no idea what you're up against."

"Enough of your games!" the former academy student shot back, livid at the continued audacity of his enemy. "I won't let you hurt the people I love anymore, especially not Moka-san!"

"Kyou-chan!" the other Tsukune called out, as he raced to his fallen relative's side. "Kyou-chan, hold on!"

The tomboyish young woman groaned weakly, as she looked to her cousin. "Tsukki," she spoke in a barely audible voice.

"Kyou-chan, don't leave me! I don't want to lose anyone else! Kyou-chan, please!"

The hybrid man looked on, his ire increasing by the moment at the scene before him. The reminder of his past self, and his inability to protect his friends and family, brought back the memory of when Moka was laid low before him, and he'd failed to have prevented the tragedy. He screamed in demonic rage, and a gargantuan ebony and crimson aura surrounded him. He channeled all his energy into his right fist, and streaked towards the unrepentant demoness before him. He lunged forth with a massive punch, which resulted in a colossal explosion of unholy energy.

* * *

"What the hecht!" the younger female vampire exclaimed, her eyes widened from behind her mask.

Her companion laughed to herself, seemingly quite amused by the event.

"Onee-sama, what's going on here!" the shorter woman demanded heatedly. "Why did that loser meet himself in his dream, is this part of the plan."

The masked vampire slowly got her mirth under control. "Not exactly, but this does make things even more amusing. He didn't seem entirely pleased to meet himself, did he?"

"What's your point?"

A sinister chuckle came from the older woman. "Come, my dear, we should pay the poor lad a visit."

"But he's right here!" the shorter daiyoukai countered, as she pointed towards Tsukune's inert body. "What sort of nonsense is this?"

"You'll find out very soon. Come, my dear, we have preparations to make."

An annoyed growl came from her younger and impatient companion.

* * *

Kurumu hurried down the hallway, which seemed exceptionally foreboding during the ominous night, as the moonlight filtered through the open windows, and illuminated the corridor with an imposing sense of gloom. She'd no idea how long she'd been running, and hadn't looked back in a long time. The fact that she still couldn't sense Pfaria's aura made it impossible to have discerned her location, which unnerved her to no end.

She looked ahead, and quickly stopped as she found the way forward blocked by a solid wall. She hurriedly looked to both sides, and saw a staircase to her right that headed up. She frowned to herself, as she knew it would've been more difficult since she was still carrying the currently inert body of Lord Shuzen. She growled to herself, and looked in annoyance at the load on her shoulder. "Moka better appreciate what I'm doing for her sake," she grumbled, and turned towards the stairs.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from the hallway she'd just passed through, a bullet whizzed across her face, missing her by mere inches. She yelped in fright, jumped back and fell onto her back, which forced her to drop the castellan's body. She heard him grunt in pain, which wasn't surprising considering what had just occurred. She looked back down the corridor, and watched as an imposing dark-clad figure stepped into the moonlight, a familiar gun in its right hand.

"You," Kurumu growled in her anger.

"End of the line, kid," Pfaria spoke with an annoyed scowl as she approached them. "Hand over the old man."

The voluptuous teenager seethed as the eldest sister drew nearer. Even worse, she seemed no worse for wear despite their best efforts to hamper her, which infuriated the incognito succubus. "You make me sick," the cyan-haired girl spoke venomously, as she unsheathed both her claws and her wings. "You talk about how much you hate vampires, yet here you are doing the same thing they do!"

"Hmph, I never pretended to be a saint," came the imposing woman's dismissive reply, "I'm simply doing what needs to be done, and that's wiping out a worthless, conniving, backstabbing race that can't do anything except kill! Once they're all dead, I'll gladly end myself and be free of this cursed existence. And then the world will never have to live in fear of vampires again."

"Wh-wh-what," Kurumu asked with a surprised look. "That's why you're after the Vampire Killer?" She immediately gulped in horror as she remembered who was right behind her. She heard a blood-curdling scream of seemingly infinite rage, and instinctively dodged to the side, as a huge beam of crackling cyan energy barely missed her and continued forward. The youki ray directly struck Pfaria and detonated on impact, which resulted in a enormous explosion of inhuman energy that shook the entire corridor.

The cyan-haired girl cried out in shock as she covered her face with her slender arms. She was definitely surprised that the vampire lord could've still generated such power in his badly wounded state. After a few seconds, the eruption died down. She warily looked ahead, and saw a huge cloud of smoke, clearly a result of the explosion. Once it dissipated, the imposing form of Pfaria stood before them, a nonplussed expression on her pale face.

"No way!" the incognito succubus exclaimed. "She's not even scratched? Oh man," she continued under her breath, "Moka's _way_ in over her head."

"Was that it," the pink-haired woman asked in an unimpressed voice, "was that the might of the 'King of Vampires,'" she inquired with scathing sarcasm. "What a pathetic farce."

Shuzen growled in rage and agony, as the pain from his injured legs flared up again, which brought him down to his knees. Kurumu looked to him, and was horrified as she saw his wounds were actually glowing as he writhed. "Don't get a swelled head, wench!" he shot back, clearly disgusted with his wretched condition.

"This coming from you," the eldest sister asked pointedly.

The stricken noble hissed at his adversary. "Foolish woman, that was but a _fraction_ of my full power. A pathetic creature like you has **no chance** against me!"

"So what are you waiting for, Halley's Comet to come around around? You'll be dead long before then, old man." She cocked her gun again, and aimed it at her father. "So enough with your ranting and raving, if you really think you can take me down, go ahead and try. Come on, old man, either put up or shut up!"

"Ha! As if I'd have to use my full power, on a weakling like you!"

Pfaria shot another bullet into his right shoulder, which sent him flying back into the wall behind him. She looked on as he crumpled down onto the floor, holding his injured shoulder. She caught a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye, and aimed her gun to her left, right at the incognito succubus who immediately froze in her tracks. "Uh uh uh," she spoke warningly.

"You miserable wretch!" Shuzen snarled as he glared at his rebellious daughter. "The Council will never let you live! Once they learn of this travesty, they will teach you the **true** meaning of fear. Before they are finished, they will have you **begging** for your miserable life!"

"Let 'em come!" the pink-haired woman retorted with a defiant grin. "Line 'em all up and I'll take 'em all out! Just like shooting ducks in a barrel!" She threw her head back in maniacal laughter.

At that moment, a gargantuan demonic aura was felt from the far end of the hallway, coupled with a vast murderous intent and hurried footsteps. As it drew near, the eldest sister's unholy elation faded, and was replaced by a startled expression. She looked back over her shoulder, and watched as a white-haired woman stopped near the window behind her, illuminated by the moonlight from outside.

"You'll do nothing of the sort, traitor!" the newcomer spoke in a commanding voice, her eyes glowing a violent shade of crimson.

"Moka!" Kurumu exclaimed in relief, and then lurched over and exhaled heavily. "You really cut it close this time."

A low chuckle escaped the pink-haired woman as she looked back to the enraged woman. "So you've decided to join us, have you," she asked with a pleasant smile, seemingly unfazed by the murderous intent aimed at her. "How considerate. I hope you didn't hurt yourself too badly breaking those chains, it would kind of defeat the purpose of coming all this way to challenge me, don't you think?"

"Silence!" the incensed vampire snapped heatedly. "Do not waggle your blasphemous tongue at me, rogue! You dare bare your fangs at Chichiu-e, plot to overthrow our sacred governing body, and even conspire to exterminate us, just because we refuse to bend to the will of your lord and master. Your unabashed treason shall not be forgiven, and for accepting his foul embrace, I shall be the one that personally sends your miserable soul straight to Hell!"

"What was that!" Pfaria demanded angrily as she spun around fully to face her accuser. "What's the deal, kid. _You_ were the one who wanted to rip the old man's head off back there, and now here you are defending him? Insolent little brat, how **dare** you jerk me around like this! What about you claiming you loved me, was that all part of the act, too?"

"I feel nothing for you, wretch," the newcomer retorted in a murderous voice, "and I shall feel nothing after I rip your heart out and crush it in my bare hands. You are nothing but a sickening rogue, a traitor who dares to live outside the boundaries we have set. No one shall feel anything for you once you die."

"Hold the phone!" Kurumu interjected, incensed by the merciless tone of the white-haired woman. "That is not what you promised your mother!"

"Silence, weakling!" the vampire retorted imperiously. "This matter is not your concern! Depart from my divine presence lest I crush your feeble existence into fine powder!"

"Why you insolent, ungrateful, two-faced-"

"What is this," Shuzen spoke in a rasping, savage voice as his burning red eyes were locked upon the implement wrapped around his daughter's left leg. "Where did you get that blasphemous article? It is an abomination, an unpardonable offense against our kind! I thought that travesty was gone forever along with those savage bloodthirsty Belmonts! Explain yourself immediately!"

Kurumu was confused at first, then peered ahead and saw the object in question, and her violet eyes went wide. The next thing she heard was an amused female chuckle, which rose to a gale of triumphant laughter. She soon noticed Pfaria had also looked towards the newcomer and clearly noticed the legendary weapon upon her.

"Oh, this is too rich," the older princess remarked with an amused grin. "To think you'd actually bring the Vampire Killer right to me, this couldn't have gone better if I'd planned it."

"You!" the Third Dark Lord spoke, his pale face a twisted mask of hate and rage. "How do you know of this travesty? How much do you intend to dishonor me?"

"Oh yes, it's all about you, isn't it," the older princess asked coolly as she turned back to him. "Why are you so afraid, O mighty King of Vampires," she continued with a sarcastic sneer. "Could it be that it disproves everything you and the other fogeys believe? Because it's a weapon created to, **kill vampires!**"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the castellan screamed at the top of his lungs, as his youki flared up menacingly. "How _**DARE**_ you speak such heresy in my presence! For your continued defiance of my absolute will, as well as your complete disrespect for your status and for all the blessings you've received by my generous hand, you are condemned to death!"

"And you really think I'm gonna care about that now," his daughter asked with an insulted scowl. "T'ch, a narcissist to the end. Whine and cry all you want, it don't mean squat. That whip proves what a **fraud** you are, and who better to try it out on than you; a self-centered, backstabbing, murdering bastard who hides from the civilized world yet he somehow thinks it revolves around him!"

As father and daughter exchanged heated words, Kurumu could've barely heard agonized cries from down the hall. She looked past Pfaria, and saw her classmate was in obvious pain, which brought her down to her knees, as white crackles of energy shot from the whip. It reminded her of the first time it flared up, when she and the others felt the master vampire's youki while they were inside their classmate's room. Once she considered the facts and made the connection, she gasped in shock and then turned to the elder vampire. "Shuzen, stop! Your aura is hurting Moka!"

"Nonsense!" the silver-haired lord shot back. "My daughter is noble and loyal, I have no reason to harm her!" He growled in anguish, as he fell to his knees again, and his demonic energy subsided.

* * *

Ruby hurried forward through the torchlit corridors, with Yukari close behind. Though she knew Moka had gotten far ahead of them, she could've still detected the faint residue of her aura, which meant they were headed in the right direction.

Suddenly, an indescribably powerful demonic aura erupted from further down the hall, one they'd sensed earlier in the day. They quickly came to a stop, as the titanic youki instinctively made them pause.

"Shuzen," the dark-haired woman remarked, and then gasped as she remembered what followed in the previous instance. "Oh no, Moka-san!"

"What is it, Ruby-san," her fellow witch asked worriedly.

The older woman grimaced as she looked ahead. "The last time Lord Shuzen manifested his aura, the whip, overtook me. If it's anywhere near him, who know what it'll do to Moka-san." She groaned in embarrassment as she held her head with her slender hands. "I can't believe I overlooked that. I erred worse than I thought."

"Will Moka-san be alright," Yukari inquired as she looked up to her companion.

"I don't know, but we need to hurry, before any of them get killed!"

"Right behind you, Ruby-san!" the child prodigy replied happily.

The dark-haired woman smiled in response, glad that her fellow witch was recovering from the incident with the vampire. She then increased her pace, and Yukari followed behind.

* * *

Moka winced as the pain from the whip lessened. She hated the foul implement which was bound to her, yet which somehow allowed her true self to manifest, despite her damaged seal. She wasn't sure why it flared up in that instance, and hated Ruby for utilizing the cursed artifact which spat in the face of everything she believed. Privately, she wished she'd never known about the Vampire Killer, and wished it would've disappeared from the world. And yet she also knew since it was irrevocably tied to Dracula, she feared it would've reappeared regardless of how much she wished otherwise. She only waited for the pain to have completely abated, then she would've executed the disgusting rogue who dared threaten her feather.

"Curse you, Pfaria!" Shuzen growled from further down the hall. "How dare you inflict this indignity upon me! How dare you torture Moka, in your infinite malice!"

The white-haired woman's face became contorted in anguish, both from the mention of her late sister's name, as well as the reminder of her seventh birthday, which was nearly her last. An enraged female growl which broke her out of her introspection, and she looked on as the leather-clad youkai rushed in and nailed Shuzen right in the chops with a vicious kick that knocked him into the wall, which was badly cracked from the impact.

"Chichiu-e!" Moka called out from down the hall, and watched in horror as her noble father slid helplessly onto the floor. Never did she imagine the strongest of the Dark Lords could've ever been reduced to such a state, and since he was all she had left, the anguish in her heart was beyond even her ability to have suppressed. She looked off to the side, and saw Kurumu off in the corner. She seethed as she saw the succubus had made no effort to have stopped the madwoman close by, and planned to eliminate her for turning against her along with the rest of her false friends.

"Oh, that does it," the pink-haired woman began in a low, menacing voice as she stood over her fallen sire. "Even after all the agony and humiliation you've caused me, this takes the cake." She reached down with her left hand, grabbed him by the back of his tuxedo, and slowly brought him to her feet. "How dare you accuse me of hurting Moka," she continued, her fangs bared in her seething hatred as she glared at his pale face, "when **you're** the one who killed her!" She punctuated her statement by smashing the butt of her gun right into his pale face, and then hurled him onto the floor.

"Th-that's not true!" the younger princess instinctively called out, and hissed to herself in self-deprecation, incensed that she'd allowed her emotions to have interfered with her better judgment yet again. "No," she spoke angrily to herself, "she is not my sister, she means absolutely nothing to me!"

"_Stop lying to yourself!_" a mental voice spoke sharply within her mind. "_You know who she is, you made a promise!_"

"Shut up, Omote!" the white-haired woman snapped, as she held the sides of her head. "You've betrayed me just like everyone else! You have no right to speak to me any longer!"

"_Don't do this, Ura-chan,_" her counterpart replied, though her voice seemed to grow fainter, "_don't break... your promise._"

Moka hissed in anger, livid at her alter ego for embracing Dracula's power without her consent. As she brooded over the situation, she was admittedly amazed her alternate persona was able to communicate with her, for she knew after Tsukune damaged her seal, she wasn't able to synchronize with her counterpart, and was thus unable to communicate. But since she'd finally been released, she planned to put everything right, since she clearly couldn't have counted on anyone else.

She looked ahead, and saw her nemesis with her knee in the middle of her father's back, as she lied facedown on the floor. "Did it make you feel strong," she asked angrily, as she grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, "to crush someone who was a third your size? You never told us about this stupid law, and yet you **killed** her breaking it!" she continued, as she smashed his head into the floor. "Oh yes, you must've been so, _proud_ of yourself," she went on, as she forcefully pulled his hair again. "It made you feel so, _**POWERFUL!**_" she screamed, and then drove his head into the floor once more, which cracked under the tremendous force.

"Stop it!" Moka cried out, agonized as the memories of her brush with death came back to her. "It had nothing to do with power!" She hunched over and wrapped her arms around herself, wincing in pain as she remembered her father's fists mercilessly striking her face and body. She looked forth from her vantage point, and saw her enemy had arisen and used her foot to callously push the fallen lord onto his back. In infuriated her to watch her father being treated like garbage, and her ire only increased as the rogue planted her right foot on the Dark Lord's throat, which made him repeatedly kick the floor in response.

"But when the boot's on _your_ neck," the pink-haired madwoman boasted, "it's not fun anymore! It's _never_ fun when _you're_ the one who gets hurt!"

Unable to control her seething indignation over her father's plight, the younger princess charged forth, and emitted a blood-curdling scream as she neared her opponent. But before she got within striking distance, she saw her opponent turned slightly and aimed a large handgun over her left shoulder. Immediately she ducked in mid-stride, as the report of the firearm resounded, and she actually felt the bullet as it passed through her long ivory locks. She instantly knew if she hadn't ducked at that juncture, she would've taken the bullet right in the head. As she straightened up, she watched as her father took hold of his enemy's boot and with a pained cry, used his incomparable strength to hurl her completely off his throat, sent her flying back five feet and knocked her to the floor, and she slid across three more feet before she finally stopped.

Moka managed to stop her momentum before she collided with the wall, turned and then leaped towards her fallen adversary. She pounced upon her and then wrapped all of her elongated fingers around her throat. "You miserable wench," she growled through clenched teeth. "How dare you, how **dare** you hurt Chichiu-e!" she declared indignantly, as her whole body shook with uncontrollable rage at the reminder of her most humiliating moment in life. "You savage, unfeeling, bloodthirsty, evil-" Her tirade was quickly interrupted as she felt a crushing grip on her own throat.

"Shut that self-righteous trap of yours," her enemy retorted in a strangled voice, hatred written all over her pale visage, "or I'll do it for you!"

The academy student winced at the hateful look directed at her, which was practically identical to the one her father wore as he viciously brutalized her for speaking Dracula's name. That, along with the merciless grasp on her neck, almost disrupted her concentration and threatened her advantage. She quickly focused back on the task at hand, and used her aura to strengthen her grip. "Never!" she growled defiantly, despite being choked as well. "I'll kill you first, you'll never threaten Chichiu-e again!"

"Wanna bet," the pink-haired rogue asked as she cocked her gun.

Moka clearly heard the clicking sound, quickly released half of her stranglehold and caught her enemy's arm with her free hand. She growled in anger, as she struggled to keep the deadly firearm away from her head, which she surmised was her opponent's strategy. Being choked out in the meantime only hampered her efforts, and she soon saw the large handgun inching its way towards her forehead. She then completely stopped strangling her opponent and grabbed her arm with her other hand. Her increased grip quickly made the difference as the firearm was forced away from her. But before she could've forced it onto the floor, her former sibling's left hand shot out, grasped tightly onto her right wrist and began pulling it back. The two grappled with one another for several long seconds, each struggling to overpower the other. Finally, the taller woman smashed her forehead right into Moka's chin, which snapped her head back and dazed her for a moment. She received two more headbutts, which caused her to lose her grip. She then took a hard left cross to the jaw which knocked her off her enemy and onto the floor.

The white-haired woman groaned to herself in pain and aggravation as she got to her knees, annoyed that her enemy had resorted to such crude tactics. She looked beside her, and saw the rogue had already regained her footing. She bared her fangs at her nemesis, who didn't even flinch at her deadly glare. The traitor pulled back the hammer of her gun, the same one that Ruby claimed actually killed Kahlua, and aimed it right at her head. But before she could've pulled the trigger, a swarm of vines erupted from the floor and wrapped around the treacherous woman's wrist. "What the hell!" she exclaimed in shock and she pulled on her binds. "Where'd these things come from?"

Moka looked on, and sensed a familiar aura about the vines. She looked behind her sister, and saw Kurumu with a violet aura around her outstretched hands, which were aimed at the rogue. "_Illusions,_" the daiyoukai mentally asked herself. "_When she did learn this ability?_" She then heard a curious hum, which she knew came from her opponent. She quickly looked back to her, and saw her turn to attention to the succubus. She then looked back at the vines, and snarled in anger as she clearly made the connection. She spun around towards the cyan-haired girl and aimed her sickening weapon at her. The sophomore quickly dropped to the floor with a startled cry as a bullet burst from the barrel of the gun, and embedded itself in the wall behind her. Moka immediately rose to her feet, rushed in and nailed her rebellious sibling with a vicious roundhouse kick to the gut, which caught her off-balance and staggered her back a few steps before she fell to one knee. She then moved in and followed up with a spinning reverse roundhouse kick to the back of the head, which knocked her over and would've drilled her into the floor had she not caught herself with her free hand. The third-born daughter of Issa Shuzen finished with a devastating axe kick that drilled her enemy facefirst into the floor, and broke her sunglasses, as one arm had snapped off and laid over a foot away.

The younger princess quickly moved in and straddled the middle of her opponent's back. She then grabbed her chin and the top of her head, and began to twist it to the side, planning to break her neck and promptly end the battle. "You die now," she spoke in a hissing voice, her fangs bared in seething anger.

"I don't think so," her opponent rebutted with a pained yet defiant smile.

A familiar clicking sounds was heard, and Moka gasped as she saw her enemy's gun pointed right at her face. She immediately released her grip and leaned back as another bullet flew out of the muzzle of her gun. She instinctively looked up towards the ceiling, and actually cringed as she considered how close she'd come to death. Before she could've recovered from the shock, she felt her errant sister had begun to rise from the floor. She quickly wrapped her legs around her stomach, yet despite the crushing force she exerted, her opponent got both feet underneath her, and then stood up straight. Desperate, the white-haired woman regained her hold and tried to snap her neck, but her loss of leverage hampered her efforts. The next thing she noticed was her opponent rapidly backing up, and screamed in pain as she felt herself crushed against the wall behind her.

* * *

Kurumu looked on with a wide-eyed expression, horrified that her friend and her opponent went through the wall and collapsed on the other side. "Moka!" she cried out, and began to run towards her fallen friend. Suddenly, an immense force slammed her facedown onto the floor. She groaned in pain and covered her aching chest, which she discovered wasn't enough to have cushioned her fall. She instantly knew what had occurred, and sent a seething glare over her shoulder towards the elder vampire. "What's the big idea!" she demanded.

"What can you possibly hope to do against Pfaria," Shuzen inquired, as he struggled to remain upright. "She is more powerful than your whole puny lot combined. Trash like you doesn't deserve to defeat her!"

"So you're just gonna stand there and let her die," the fallen succubus demanded angrily. "What kind of a father are you?"

"A vampire lives alone, fights alone, and dies alone. It is simply our fate."

Kurumu seethed in rage at the Dark Lord, livid at his calm resignation amidst the chaotic scene before them. But before she could've verbalized her discontent, a startled cry came from the newly created hole in the wall. She looked towards it, and grimaced as she saw Moka's body flew out of the opening, and watched as she crashed upside down into the opposing wall, which became badly cracked from the collision.

A couple of moments later, Pfaria emerged from the other side, and slowly approached the fallen vampire, her trusted sidearm in her right hand. The younger princess had risen to one knee, though her head was bowed, and her left hand was flat against the floor. Without warning, she lashed out with her right leg, aimed at the taller woman's midsection. Though the attack connected and staggered her back, she quickly reached out and grabbed her still-extended ankle. She then viciously tossed her across the corridor, and her body slammed against the opposing wall, the stone surface heavily fractured as a result.

Kurumu gasped in horror, shocked at seeing the supposedly invincible daiyoukai tossed about like a rag doll. What frightened her even more was that her opponent wasn't using her full strength. Privately, she began to wonder if Kahlua was correction in her earlier assessment, that her little sister had no chance against the leather-clad vampire. "Moka," she said to herself, deeply worried over her friend's plight.

* * *

Moka groaned in pain and held her left shoulder, which had collided with the wall. She knew the jarring impacts would've eventually worn her down had they continued, so she saw the best course of action was to end the battle quickly before she suffered any more needless punishment.

"Did you really think it would be so easy," the rogue's voice asked from behind her, coupled with the sound of her heavy boots, "get in a few cheap shots and _that_ would be enough to defeat me?"

The daiyoukai growled vicious at the accusation and shot to her feet like a rocket. But no sooner than she did that her opponent's left hand streaked forward and tightly latched onto her throat. She hissed in anger, as she struggled to remove her enemy's hand from her neck.

"But you've clearly never fought anyone on _my_ level," the traitor pointed out. "Not so easy when your opponent hits back, is it?"

"Don't you dare mock me you insolent-" She got no further as the chokehold dangerously tightened, which made her gasp in pain.

"Put a sock in it, you've wasted enough of my time. So I'm putting an end to this sick charade," she spoke menacingly, as she placed the muzzle of her gun right at her enemy's forehead, "and the old man with it."

"_Aneue, no!_" a disembodied voice spoke telepathically. "_This won't bring Heinrich back!_"

The white-haired woman gasped aloud, startled by the familiar and yet somewhat unfamiliar voice. "Omote?" Before she got a response, her captor reared back and slammed the butt of her gun into her forehead, which would've driven her to the floor had she not been held up by the throat.

"Quite jerking me around!" the suddenly irate vampire shouted. "I've had it with your little mind games!" She pulled back the hammer of her gun, and brought it near her head. "Die."

Before she could've pulled the trigger, a whipping sound was heard, and she watched as several black tendrils appeared from seemingly nowhere, wrapped around her right arm and the gun. The tendrils' strength was formidable, and it struggled to pull the gun away from Moka. Pfaria looked to her right, and saw the tendrils came from a slender woman in a bathrobe, with six ebony wings on her back. She also saw a smaller girl in a witch's costume next to her, the same one who interfered with her earlier. "Mind your own business!" the eldest sister shouted down the corridor. "Or do you wanna die with these chumps!"

"This ends now, Pfaria Shuzen!" the newcomer commanded. "I won't let you kill your father, or Moka-san!"

"Stay out of this!" the younger princess demanded in a choked voice. "This is my fight and mine alone!"

"Oh you think so, do you," the pink-haired woman asked challengingly of the older witch, and then pointed her gun towards the newcomer. "Think those puny wings of yours can stop a bullet?"

Moka saw she was distracted, and grabbed her enemy's arm with both hands, as she struggled to break her chokehold. Pfaria turned back to her and tightened her grip, which made the shorter girl cough painfully. However, once she did, the grip on her other arm increased. She pulled back with her right arm, and the academy student quickly exploited the madwoman's distraction. She started to pry her sister's hand away, but was soon discovered and strangled even tighter.

"Don't even think about it!" Shuzen's voice demanded from down the hall. "What can _you_ possibly do against my daughter?"

The white-haired woman looked to her right, and watched as Kurumu spun around and at the elder vampire.

"The best I can!" the cyan-haired girl spoke boldly. "Which is more than I can say for **you!**" she declared, as she ran forth and kicked him right in his injured leg. The castellan cried out in pain and dropped to his knees. Moka's eyes blazed with fury, enraged that her classmate had actually attacked her father. Using more of demonic power, she managed to wrest her sister's hand from her throat, and began forcing it back, which quickly got her attention.

"_**REVENGE KICK!**_" the succubus shouted as she flew in and drove both of her feet into the side of Pfaria's head, which caught her completely off-guard and caused her to lose her grip on her weapon. The large handgun was pulled away by Ruby's extended feathers, and the older witch nearly lost her balance from the sudden release of the gun.

The pink-haired woman looked down the hall, and saw her prized weapon had been confiscated. "Maggie!" she called out, unaware that Moka still held her arm. And before she could've attempted to retrieve it, the younger princess pulled her back, sent four vicious kicks to the midsection, nailed her with a rising kick to the forehead, and then tossed her over her shoulder and brutally slammed her onto the floor, which shuddered from the impact.

The daiyoukai looked down at her fallen opponent, a disgusted scowl on her deathly pale visage. She then glanced over to the succubus, and recalled what she'd done earlier. She immediately ran forward and nailed her hard in the gut with a side kick, which sent her into the far wall. She bared her fangs in anger as she watched her opponent slide down the wall.

Kurumu groaned in pain from the surprise attack, which left her barely conscious. She grit her teeth together, shook her head vigorously and pushed herself to her feet. "What was that for!" she demanded indignantly, as she held her aching ribs.

"Do not feign naivete with _me,_" the royal vampire retorted contemptuously. "You assaulted my father, the mightiest and bravest of the Three Dark Lords! The punishment is death!"

"You're defending this idiot," the succubus inquired back with an incredulous look. "Get over yourself, he wants to lock you up here and erase the other you! There's nothing brave about him!"

"_**SILENCE!**_" Moka screamed at the top of her lungs as she lashed out to the side, her eyes blazing with hatred. "How _**DARE**_ you speak such slander against Chichiu-e! He is more powerful, knowledgeable, and valuable than all the rest of you trash put together! And for interfering with his glorious designs and bringing dishonor to these hallowed halls, you are all condemned to death!"

Suddenly, a powerful youki shot through her body, and she screamed as she found herself immobilized. "_Ura-chan, how __**DARE**__ you turn against our friends!_" her counterpart exclaimed indignantly. "_What would Hahau-e say if she saw you acting like this?_"

The unsealed persona winced, as her alter ego was much stronger than she remembered. The thought of her mother's disapproval was also very unsettling, yet she quickly pushed it out of her mind. "Shut up, Omote!" she audibly responded. "They're the ones who turned against **me!** Kokoa was right, a vampire doesn't need friends!"

A scream of immeasurable rage erupted from deep within her mind, which made the white-haired woman actually trembled in fear, and soon found herself overwhelmed. "_**CHICHIU-EEEEEEEEEE!**_" she cried out as her consciousness was pushed into the back of her mind.

Shuzen's crimson irises went wide as he sensed what had just occurred. "_**YOU!**_" he exclaimed, furious that his daughter's body had been commandeered. He used his youki to levitate his body off the floor, and then launched himself towards the stricken girl, who suddenly lashed out with a thundering side kick that knocked him into the wall. The patriarch grunted in pain and landed on his feet, which instantly reminded him of his badly wounded legs, which barely managed to support him. "You'll regret this, construct," he growled through his agony, "you will know agony as you have never imagined possible before I erase your counterfeit existence!"

The younger princess ignored his threats, and held the cyan-haired girl's shoulders. "Kurumu," she spoke sternly, "get away from here!"

The succubus looked to her in confusion, taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. "Moka," she asked warily.

"Kurumu, I can't hold her back for long. Get away, now!" she commanded.

"But what about you," the shorter girl asked, still completely baffled about the situation. "You heard what Shuzen said, didn't you?"

"I'll be alright," the daiyoukai asserted, though her voice sounded strained. "We've been through too much together for it to end here. And we still need to find Tsukune, right?"

"Do not speak that name!" the patriarch demanded heatedly. "He has betrayed me and he shall die for his insolence along with these worms! _**MOKA, KILL THEM ALL!**_" he concluded in an echoing voice as his body became a silhouette of cyan energy and vanished.

The succubus looked on in blank shock, thunderstruck by what she'd just heard. "He didn't," she remarked timidly.

"Kurumu-" the white-haired woman began urgently, then screamed in agony and held her head, as she felt her alternate persona regaining control. After a few moments, she felt herself pushed back into the dark recesses of her mind.

Moka's shoulders heaved in anger as she finally regained consciousness, her long ivory tresses falling into her face. "How dare Omote overrule me, how dare she try to overrule Chichiu-e!" She looked to where she'd had the cyan-haired girl cornered, and saw it was no longer the case. She looked down the hall, and saw her former friend headed towards the two witches who'd also interfered with her. "There is no escape for any of you!" she called out, as she still breathed somewhat heavily. "By order of Chichiu-e you are all sentenced to death! Kneel down and accept your fates!"

Suddenly, the floor shuddered for a brief moment, coupled with the sound of crushed stone. She looked off to the side, and saw Pfaria had sat up, and planted her fist right through the floor, all the way up to her wrist. "Oh, now you've done it," she began in a low hostile voice, "you helped the old man escape. And here I thought you couldn't annoy me any further." She slowly got to her feet, and glared at the shorter girl. "You represent everything I hate about vampires. You love no one but yourself, you kill your enemies without even trying to understand them, and you turn on your supposed friends when the old man gives the word." She brandished her right fist, which revealed a silver cross on the back of her glove. "Well, since he's left you to take the fall for his screw-ups, I see no reason to deny him." She pulled down the sleeve of her jacket, which revealed a metal band around her wrist, and a button on the side. She pushed the button with her thumb, and the artifact popped out of its base. She quickly caught it, and placed it back in her possession.

Moka's eyes went wide, as a immense demonic aura erupted from her sister, coupled with the energy of her hated foe, Dracula.

* * *

Oh my gosh! I can't believe what just happened! Has Moka truly turned against her friends? Will Akasha reach the castle in time to stop the dueling siblings from destroying one another? And just what is the significance of Tsukune meeting himself in his dream?

"And will Old Man Shuzen survive the next chapter? Ten to one he croaks in the next chapter."

"You're on, Mizore-chan!"

"What? How dare you insects long for my death! Without me, the whole world would cease to be!"

"Who do you think you're fooling, no one will miss you when you're gone."

"Yo."

"Ah, finally a voice of reason! Get over here and crush these imbeciles!"

"Hold on, you're not supposed to appear until the next arc!"

"I'm restless, finish up, Author."

Right, anyway tune in next time for Part I Chapter IX Sororicide


	12. Part II Chapter IX

A/N: Hello everyone, hope you're enjoying spring, those of you who are celebrating it about now. As the first quarter of the year draws to a close, we bring you next chapter of our exciting story.

"Does the old man die in this one? He's really starting to annoy me."

"Silence, trash! Without me this sordid tale would have no meaning!"

"Yeah that's what Kuyou thought and look where he is now."

"Is it... hot in here or is it just me?"

I respectfully decline comment. Anyway, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. Anyway, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter IX  
Sororicide

With a horrified gasp, a teenage youth sat up in bed, surrounded by nothing but darkness. "What was that," he asked himself, shivering at what he'd experienced. "That dream again." He paused for a moment, to get his fears and breathing under control again. "But, why did I see myself," he asked, as his eyes to finally became adjusted to his darkened room. "Why did I look like, a demon?"

He slowly removed the covers and threw his legs over the side of his bed. He then stood up straight, and took in his surroundings. It was definitely late at night, the only light coming from streetlights off in the distance. He looked out his window, and saw a New Moon hanging in the sullen sky. The stars seemed to keep their distance from it, as if frightened by the natural phenomenon. "Just like, then," he spoke to himself, as he solemnly lowered his face.

After a few moments, he turned and headed to his closet. Once he opened the sliding door, he carefully walked inside towards the corner. Situated against the wall was a very long weapon, longer than even his entire body. Most of its length consisted of an azure shaft, with an inverted pear-shaped pommel that was larger than his head. A larger version of the pommel was situated at the other end, flanked by a pair of batlike wings, and a strange ancient crest carved into the center, which served as the guard. The attacking end consisted of a thin blade, longer than his lower leg.

"But I won't let it end like this," he continued, as a fierce burning stare crossed his young features. He tightly grasped the halberd and brought it close to him, as the blade glowed within the darkness, which signified his determined vow. "I will have, my revenge."

* * *

Off the eastern shore of the Japanese mainland was an isolated island, completely concealed by a huge barrier. Within the barrier was a highly technologically advanced stronghold, surrounded by a high-voltage electrical fence. A minefield laid before the front entrance, and numerous gun turrets, both visible and concealed were littered about the area.

Deep within the fortress a lone figure sat behind a very intricate computer console, clad in a long white lab coat. Beneath it was a light blue dress shirt, along with a blood red tie and matching pocket protector. Nondescript brown slacks adorned the individual's legs, and polished black leather shoes on the figure's feet. A brooding scowl was deeply etched onto the sole resident's pale features, its nostrils flared in anger, as a pair of wire-rimmed glasses were situation over the figure's dilated green eyes. The individual's hair resembled more a mass of long crimson spikes, which angled up from the perturbed being's head. Situated in the figure's right ear was a Bluetooth, which was connected to a cell phone that was charging to the right of the console. The individual was quite annoyed as the phone continued to ring.

"Hello," a happy female voice spoke through the device, "you have reached the voice mailbox of Kahlua Shuzen. I'm sorry I'm not here right now, since I'm either away from the phone, or on business. But if you'd like to reach me, please leave your name, number, and any message you might have after the tone, and I'll get back to you at my earliest convenience. Thank you, and have a nice day. Bye!"

"The mailbox is full and cannot receive any more messages at this time," a monotone female voice relayed. "Goodbye."

The figure growled in aggravation, and slammed both hands onto the console. "Where in the name of all the underworlds in all the Omniverse are you!" the being began in a frantic, irritated tone. "I've left fifty-eight voicemails and a hundred and seventy-three text messages and you _still_ don't have the common courtesy to contact me have you forgotten that I am the one who brought you into existence you owe every fiber in your ungrateful and incompetent being to me I'm infuriated that you nearly ruined our plans to decimate the Bleeding Bat after they murdered Sergei's borderline daughter in cold blood it's been almost thirty-six hours and you still haven't contacted me don't make me come looking for you Kahlua Shuzen or I'm going to make my next experiments on you more excruciatingly painful than you can even begin to imagine with your limited-"

Suddenly, she gasped in horror, as her vampiric senses detected an overwhelming wave of darkness. She found herself all but paralyzed, as she had never felt such a powerful youki in her entire existence. "What in the world is that," she uttered, frightened for the first time in decades. She looked to her console, and found her sensors had detected nothing in the immediately area, which told her the phenomenon had occurred outside her scanners. She sat back into her seat, and concentrated on the immeasurable youki. She pushed her senses outwards, and found it had originated on the mainland, and within a human city. The task was more exerting than she'd expected, yet she knew she hadn't tried using her vampiric senses in almost ten years, so she wasn't surprised at being somewhat rusty. Finally, she located the source of the youki, a huge beam of black darkness that erupted from a police station, which was enclosed within a barrier.

The woman formerly known as Gyokuro Shuzen gasped as her green eyes shot open. "It can't be," she said to herself in an awed voice. "Is this... the power of Shinso?" She exhaled bitterly, and placed both hands on her console. "How is it a Shinso exists in the human world and we didn't know? That's impossible!"

At that moment, an irritating beeping sound came from one of her monitors. She looked to it, and saw there was an incoming call from the seventh subdivision. With a disgusted annoyance, she pushed a button and opened the channel. Once she did, the image of a frightened pair of receptionists appeared on her monitor. "Make it quick, I'm busy," she remarked, clearly bothered by their call.

"Shuzen-sama!" the dark-haired woman on the left spoke frantically. "We've lost contact with SD7 leader and his team!"

"Kamiya," the redhead asked with a look of confusion and annoyance. "What has that idiot done this time!" she demanded, as she slammed her fist on the side of the console. "Can't you incompetent dunderheads do anything right I didn't allow you simpletons to join my organization just you could foul up my masterful and glorious plans I have the right mind to dock you all a hundred years pay and rescind all your benefits just for being such nincompoops and then I'm going to experiment on the lot of you and see if I can't make anything even remotely useful out of your menial lives as daunting as a task that may be even for my omniscience with far exceeds that of all other lifeforms combined in all the worlds in the Omniverse!"

"Please, forgive us, Shuzen-sama!" the second receptionist spoke in a terrified voice. "All we know is they ran into unexpected complications during their assignment and we've been unable to determine their status!"

"_What_ assignment," the estranged wife of Issa Shuzen asked in a low, dangerous voice. "Who's trying to undermine my supreme authority as well as my glorious and masterfully designed plans? You two better start talking before I come over there and disembowel you for suggesting something so outrageous as well as being so inexcusably inane!"

The two underlings looked to one another for several moments, then turned back to the monitor both frightened and confused. "Shuzen-sama," the first one began hesitantly, "we thought it was you who ordered Kamiya-sama to eliminate Ayumu Akashiya. Since it came from headquarters, you were the first person who came to mind."

"Yes," her cohort interjected, clearly intimidated by her superior's visage, "Kamiya-sama had the target cornered inside the thirty-ninth police precinct of Metro Tokyo, but now we can't contact him. Please forgive us, Shuzen-sama, we thought the situation was well in hand."

The scowling woman processed what her underlings had relayed. As she put the facts together, her face twisted into a mask of satanic rage, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, as a crackling demonic aura surrounded her entire being. "This is an atrocity!" she declared indignantly, as she thrust her arms nito the air. "That stupid manstealing wench doesn't deserve to be a Shinso, _**I DO!**_"

"Shuzen-sama," the younger of the pair asked nervously.

"_**SILENCE!**_**"** the suddenly incensed woman snapped, as she slammed both hands on the console, sat up and brought her face an inch away from the viewscreen. "I've had enough of you dunderheads and your infinite incompetence! Find that birdbrain and tell him I'm going to dissect him with a rusty butter knife for acting without my permission and undermining my brilliant and glorious plans! And if he **doesn't** call me back in the next hour you're _**ALL FIRED!**_"

"Shuzen-sama!" the second woman protested, both terrified by her superior's visage as well as her ultimatum.

The CEO of Fairy Tale promptly cut the line, and sat back into her seat with an aggravated growl. "This is simply infuriating," she commented with a disgusted expression. "How could that repulsive and amoral little minx be a Shinso? This is a travesty! _**I **_am the Queen of the Night, not her! I will never bow to that harlot for all the shame and dishonor she's brought upon me, Issa-kun, and all vampirekind! Mark my words, Akasha Bloodriver, I won't rest until I've extinguished your abhorrent existence and claimed your power for my own."

At that moment, an annoying beeping sound came from her console. "What is it now," she asked irritably, as she saw a flashing button on her console. She pressed it, and a computerized message appeared on her main monitor.

"WARNING," the message began in large letters, "BIORHYTHMS OF ASSASSINATION UNIT KAHLUA SHUZEN TERMINAL."

"Terminal!" the redhead snapped. "First she ignores me and then she gets herself killed? I don't think so!" she snapped heatedly, as she rapidly and repeatedly pushed a large red button on her console. "You've really screwed up this time, young lady I'm not gonna let you forgive you for this unpardonable offense against your father and myself I've invested too much time and energy to have you blow it all in some knuckleheaded stunt of extreme idiocy! Now get back online and do your job! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot!"

* * *

Kasumi sat on the comfortable sofa of her living room, with her loving spouse by her side. They were enjoying one of her home-cooked meals, rice and teriyaki, as the evening programs played out on the television before them.

Suddenly, the TV screen grew fuzzy, and the image was replaced by a newsman. "We interrupt this broadcast for this special bulletin," the nondescript anchorman reported. "Just a few moments ago, the Thirty-Ninth Police Precinct of the Metropolitan Tokyo area was destroyed in an unknown explosion, the cause is still being investigated. The only survivor of the explosion, Lieutenant Masato Kuroshiro, was unavailable for comment."

"No way!" the housewife declared in shock, as her brown eyes opened wide. "A police station? Who would do such a thing?"

"Man, these yakuza are getting bolder all the time," her spouse commented, equally as surprised.

"I'm not so sure about that," the brown-haired woman replied with an uncertain look, as she recalled the sky cracking earlier in the week, along with the attacks at Azinu Elementary School and the Velvet Moon nightclub massacre.

"Though we have few details about the explosion," the newsman continued, "it is frighteningly similar to two more such incidents that occurred earlier today, both in connection with renowned legal defender Ayumu Akashiya."

Kasumi gasped in shock by what she's heard. "Akashiya-san," she asked. She soon got the answer to her unspoken question, as a picture of the attorney was shown on the screen. Though the stern expression on her face was completely dissimilar, the pink hair, the green eyes, and the facial structure was practically identical to her son's classmate, whom she met over the summer. "Tsukune," she spoke in a low voice.

"What is it, darling," her husband asked, as he noted her concern.

"Tsukune's in trouble."

The dark-haired man looked to her with a confused expression. "What do you mean, what does any of this have to do with Tsukune?"

"I'm not really sure myself, I just, know."

The man sighed gravely, though he wasn't going to question his wife's concerns. He merely held her close to him. "It'll be alright, Kasumi. Our son will come home. Nothing's going to happen to him."

The brown-haired housewife sighed worriedly, and leaned into his embrace. "_Akashiya-san,_" she thought to herself, "_what has happened?_"

* * *

In the back of his personal limo, Fuhai Touhou sat back in his seat, composed and yet very alert. Though all the preparations had been made, and they'd ran into no real obstacles in transit, he couldn't help but feel the journey was taking longer than he would've expected. And considering their situation, it made him feel very uneasy.

"We've just exited the tunnel, sir!" the driver's voice called out from the front.

The Dark Lord hummed in acknowledgment, and folded his hands into his sleeves.

As the journey continued, he felt light bumping underneath the car. He lowered the tinted window, and soon saw they were traveling on a dirt road, with a looming mountain overhead. He peered up towards the summit, and a cold chill shot up his spine. He was certain Shuzen lived atop the mountain, and his uneasiness only grew.

"Chang," one of the passengers spoke up irritably, "when's the last time you tuned up the Boss' car?"

"I did it just last week," the driver retorted.

"Then how come we're going so slow? Is that speedometer broken or something?"

"No chance, Lee! I know this car inside and out, and I know that's the right speed!"

"Well, step on it!" the mafia member declared in exasperation. "We ain't got much time, you know!"

"Pipe down, you two!" Fuhai snapped into the intercom. "Just keep driving!"

The two black-clad men in the front seat gasped audibly, clearly frightened that they'd raised their boss' ire. "Yes, sir!" they spoke in unison.

The wizened youkai groaned to himself and leaned back into his seat. "_But they're both right,_" he thought to himself, "_we should be going faster than this. It's like some, force, is hindering our progress._" He gave his aged head a through shake, frustrated by the current events. "_Issa, why must you try to solve everything yourself? Have you forgotten what we endured back then? This is far too big for any one man to handle alone._" He exhaled somberly, as he bowed his head, distressed at what had happened, and what he feared would've soon followed.

* * *

Pfaria screamed in pain as her sealed energy was released. Though the ring of aura shielding she wore under her left glove made her energy undetectable to the outside world, she couldn't help but deny the rush she felt when her demonic power was unleashed. It has been the third time in a few days she'd had to release her seal, which was very uncommon for her. She could've counted on her fingers the number of times she'd unsealed herself during her nine-year exile from the youkai world. The last thing she wanted was the discovery of her true nature, which she hid virtually without fail while in the human world. Though after the botched mission at the Velvet Moon nightclub, her ruse was exposed. It was barely a day later that Kahlua found her at her favorite hangout locale, the Bleeding Bat Bar 'N Grill. She was incensed that her sister had come looking for her without permission, and a brawl broke out that destroyed a good portion of the bar. It was during the brawl that a band of foreign men in black suits moved in, the same people she'd seen at Azinu Elementary School and the Velvet Moon. Both vampires fled before they got caught up in the chaos.

The eldest sister shook off her reminiscence and focused on the matter at hand. Kahlua was dead, her father was badly wounded, and once she crushed the impostor before her, she planned to finish the job. It disgusted her how many people had bought into the ruse. Her deathly pale visage, and the dark circles around her glowing red eyes, as well as her abnormally long fingers and nails, was more a depiction of vampires from the inaccurate horror movies rather than their real life counterparts. Pfaria suspected her incorrigible sire had actually delved into necromancy when he created the replica, which was never discussed in the modern era. But when she considered how those who'd become intoxicated by their own power, especially those in high-standing political positions, believed the rules no longer applied to them, it didn't seem nearly as surprising. Sending the faker to Youkai Academy was yet another insult to the eldest sister. Even the way her academy uniform clung to her body, especially how the buttons of her blouse strained against her sizable chest, infuriated the older princess, as she believed her father was mocking her along with Moka. But the most insulting part of it, was that even Pfaria's mother had bought into the farce and embraced the charlatan as her daughter, even though it was made to mock her along with Moka. In the eldest sister's book, that was the final straw. She was tired of everyone around her bending to her father's will, oblivious to the atrocities he committed, so she planned to break the lot of them.

The white-haired charlatan winced under Pfaria's gaze, reluctant to have returned her stare. The eldest daughter of Issa Shuzen sneered in response, as she had no respect for an opponent who couldn't have looked her in the eye. Suddenly, the impostor broke into a sprint and tried to pass by the leather-clad daiyoukai's left. Pfaria's arm quickly shot out, and her hand grasped onto her enemy's throat, as her legs went flying out from under her, yet the taller woman maintained her grip. "Not so fast," she remarked, as she brought her enemy before her. She felt her grasping onto her arm with her elongated fingers, but she paid it no heed. "You make all those death threats and now you're trying to run away? T'ch, that only proves that you _know_ you can't back up your words, just like a typical vampire."

Her opponent growled in anger and hatred, infuriated by the eldest princess' words. She slammed her right palm four times onto Pfaria's left arm, clearly attempting to break her arm along with the stranglehold, but to no avail. She then lifted her knee straight up to the same arm, but with the same results. She tried to grab Pfaria's own throat, but soon found she suffered from a reach disadvantage. She then lashed out in frustration with her claws, which slashed across the front of the taller woman's jacket. The silver-haired daiyoukai retaliated with a huge right cross, which nailed her opponent flush in the face and sent her through the wall behind her.

"Moka-san!" a little girl's voice cried out from behind.

"Don't scratch the leather!" the transformed vampire snapped irritably. She looked down towards her prized raiment, and snarled as she saw the marks left behind by her enemy's claws. She hissed to herself, livid at what the impostor had wrought. She blinked a couple of times, and finally noticed that her sunglasses were missing. She turned back and headed down the hall to where she believed they still lied. Pfaria knew the charlatan's associates were still off in the distance, but as long as they didn't interfere, she wouldn't have harmed them. She almost pitied them, since she knew well the pain of betrayal. However, she knew they brought it on themselves for trying to befriend a vampire.

After a few moments, her eyes caught sight of a dull shimmer from the floor. She bent over, and picked up a broken plastic object, which she recognized as the remains of her shades. One of the hammer arms had broken off, and both lenses were smashed. Though she should've been grateful a broken piece hadn't wedged into her eye, she crushed the remains with a vicious growl, livid at the loss of another of her prized possessions.

Suddenly, her keen ears detected the sound of hurried footsteps from behind her. She quickly discerned it was her enemy yet again, and with a flick of her wrist, cast her broken shades onto the floor. She looked over her right shoulder, saw her oncoming opponent, reared back and then lashed out with a devastating elbow. However, the impostor ducked and went into a rolling tumble, as the blow passed over her, and caused Pfaria to temporarily lose her balance. Before she could've recovered, she growled as she felt a fierce kick to the side of her left knee, followed by another which made her stumble to the side. She turned and finally saw her opponent, on her hands and knees, facing away from her. Irritated, she stormed over towards her, only to taken off-guard as her enemy propelled herself off the floor and nailed her right under the chin with both feet, which staggered her several steps back. As she paused and vigorously shook her head, she looked forth and saw her opponent running towards her at top speed. She quickly analyzed her trajectory, and determined her opponent was planning to attack her blind side yet again, which truly began to annoy her. Sure enough, the impostor ran to her left and leaped into the air with a clockwise spin. Pfaria quickly ducked, and the oncoming kick hit nothing but air. The eldest sister straightened up, and unleashed a vicious blow while her enemy was still in midair, which caught her in the stomach with enough force to send her through another wall, as the whole corridor shook from the impact.

* * *

Further down the hall, a tear ran down Yukari's face as she saw her former friend smashed through yet another wall. "No," she spoke sadly, still shaken after what had transpired earlier. "Moka-san." She began to head towards the newly made hole in the wall when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked beside her, and saw the incognito succubus had stopped her. "Kurumu-san."

"Don't do it, Yukari-chan," the cyan-haired girl spoke, sadness and bitterness in her soft voice. "If you go after her now she'll kill you."

"No!" the brunette shot back. "You're wrong! Moka-san would never hurt us, she's our friend!"

"Didn't you hear what happened!" Kurumu snapped irritably, tears in her violet eyes. "Shuzen ordered Moka to kill us all, and she agreed! No real friend would do that!"

The child prodigy grimaced at her classmate's words. "No!" she pleaded desperately. "You're wrong! You must be!" She buried her head into the taller girl's chest, and pounded on her shoulders with her small fists, as she cried profusely. After a few moments, she felt her friend's arms encircling her diminutive body. "Kurumu-san."

At that moment, the sound of pained yet hurried footsteps came from behind them. Everyone turned and saw a familiar purple-haired girl behind them, who supported a dark-haired young woman who tightly held her ribs. Both were clearly injured, yet they pushed themselves forward.

"Mizore-san! Michiru-san!" the young witch called out, saddened by their physical state yet also glad by their presence.

"Sorry it took so long," the yuki onna spoke up with a pained grin, "had to pull myself out of the floor. That wasn't fun."

"Kurumu-san," the incognito shadow hound asked with a stern look, "tell me I misheard you just now. Are you saying Moka-san has betrayed us?"

The voluptuous teenager bitterly looked away.

"No way," Mizore interjected, her mouth agape in shock, "that can't be true. Tell me you're kidding, breast girl."

"She's not kidding," Ruby spoke up. "Lord Shuzen called for our deaths, and Moka-san," she continued, as she turned her face away in shame, "chose to obey him."

Michiru gave the administrative assistant an incredulous look, thunderstruck by what she'd just heard. "Of all the thoughtless short-sighted-" She stopped in mid-sentence, almost unable to have verbalized her disbelief. "How could a Dark Lord be so blind?"

"Because he thinks he's the only one who can defeat Dracula," Kurumu replied bitterly. "He thinks he's the only one who deserves to." She turned away, her body trembling with rage and sadness.

"That's, that's madness! He's a fool to think he can challenge him alone! And you're saying Moka-san is taking his side? What is wrong with her?"

Before she could've received a response, a thundering impact came from behind the wall where the vampires fought, followed by the sound of crumbling stone.

"What the hecht was that," the yuki onna asked timidly.

"Sounds like they're taking the fight downstairs," her current companion replied.

"We need to hurry!" Yukari spoke worriedly.

"Are you really sure you wanna do that," the purple-haired girl asked with a quizzical look.

"I have to! Moka-san needs us, we have to stop her and Pfaria-san-" She began crying again, appalled at the thought of losing the vampire who'd saved her life over a year ago.

Kurumu continued to hold her close, touched by her devotion to her misguided friend. Privately, she was also appalled by her actions, and didn't want to believe they'd been betrayed, yet she couldn't have denied Shuzen's obvious influence over his daughter. Such actions made her understand why Pfaria despised vampires so much. "Yukari-chan."

* * *

Moka snarled in anger as she lied on the floor. She'd already taken some serious punishment, though she willed herself to ignore the screaming pain of her body. "_Blast,_" she thought to herself, "_how did she know I was going to attack her blind spot again?_" She growled in aggravation as she lifted her back off the floor, and used her elbow to support herself. She looked ahead towards the hole in the wall, and watched as her opponent passed through. The very sight of the rogue enraged her, especially since she seemed to have the advantage in the fight, though she was clearly unworthy of it. "_Even if she could've read it, there should've been way she could've dodged it. I am a vampire, the supreme life-form on this world! This trash should be as nothing before me!_"

The leather-clad traitor moved in and reared back with her gloved right fist. Moka quickly rolled to her left, and the oncoming blow smashed into the floor, which quickly fractured from the tremendous impact. The princess quickly scampered away, and rose to her feet. She briefly took in her surroundings. She found herself in an large empty room, which looked perfectly suited to be a storage area. However, her inspection was interrupted as she neared the floor crumbling from her opponent's attack. Without thinking, she lunged forward and tackled her opponent before she could've escaped. Before either of them landed, the floor finally disintegrated, and both fell through. The white-haired woman maintained her crushing hold as she plummeted. However, her opponent repeatedly assaulted her with several hard punches to the side of the head, which were beginning to take their toll. Moka released one arm and caught the next blow. She struggled with her enemy for several seconds, and then brought her right hand back, her elongated fingers aimed right at her adversary's heart. But before she could've struck, both women landed hard on the floor below, and broken pieces of stone fell around them.

The younger princess rolled off the rogue's body, grateful that she'd taken the brunt of the fall, though annoyed that she'd been denied from landing the final blow. Her left hand went to the side of her head, which had taken repeated attacks during the fall. The battle had proven to be one of her most grueling, far more than she'd anticipated. And since she'd fallen through the floor, she'd lost sight of her former friends, and knew she would've had to hunt them down after she'd disposed of the traitor.

Suddenly, she gasped in horror and sat straight up. "_What am I thinking,_" she asked mentally, shocked by what she'd just contemplated. "_Did they really mean that little to me?_" She looked to her hands, as she remembered when she was on the verge of killing Yukari, just because she'd spoken Tsukune's name. She then remembered how she vowed to kill the others after her father gave the order. The daiyoukai covered her face with both hands, as intense feelings of shame and confusion came over her. "_What would Hahau-e think if she saw me acting like this?_" At that moment, she looked to her hands, and saw a strange band around her left ring finger. She turned it over, and saw an arcane trinket around her finger, engraved with a familiar crest. "_A tracking ring,_" she asked herself, confused by its presence and irritated that she hadn't noticed it sooner. As she examined the article, she sensed it emitted a faint yet familiar youki, one that grew stronger by the moment. Her red eyes went wide, and she gasped in sheer terror, as she recognized the energy signature. "_No, Hahau-e!_" She grimaced in pain as she forced herself to her feet, removed the ring and dropped it on the floor. She then raised her right foot and brought it down upon the accessory with the force of a pile driver, as crackles of youki shot from underneath the bottom of her shoe.

* * *

Down near the foot of the mountain ran a wide valley, densely covered with trees. Even from that distance, the local wildlife felt a great sense of tension from the summit, as ominous clouds hung high overhead.

Suddenly, dark supernatural energy crackled overhead, which made all the animals scamper in fright. Within the unnatural phenomenon a black-clad figure appeared, who screamed in fright as she plummeted towards the earth at incredible speeds. The newcomer collided with a tree, which promptly snapped in half from the impact, as did the three behind it. The figure smashed into the ground, and dug a trench eighty feet long before it finally stopped.

The stranger groaned in pain and weariness as it fought to regain its bearings. "Shoot, I lost the signal," the figure spoke in a feminine voice. She lifted herself off the ground with her arms, as her dirty white hair concealed her face like a curtain. "Did Issa discover my plan?" She quickly got up, despite the pain she experienced from her intense collision. She inspected herself, and saw her dress was torn and dirtied, and she had numerous scrapes along her divinely shaped body. She also felt intense pain from her left shoulder, which she surmised had hit the earth first. She straightened herself up, and slowly closed her eyes. As she stood in place, she felt her minor injuries being immediately mended by her unmatched regenerative capabilities. Her shoulder took a few moments longer, but in time it was also properly mended.

Akasha opened her eyes, and looked over herself again. Her numerous scrapes had all been healed, with no evidence left behind save for the dirt on her exposed skin. Her dress was torn, though she could've restored it as well. However, she knew well that time wasn't on her side. She looked behind her, and saw the trail she'd gouged through the earth. She grimaced for a moment, as she remembered the pain from her crash. She then looked ahead, and saw the imposing mountain, with black clouds that hovered over the summit. The legendary Shinso pushed her senses outwards, and detected a powerful youki from the mountaintop. "Issa's up there," she spoke to herself, "I'm sure of it." She knew she could've flown the rest of the way, but that would've expended a lot of energy as well as announce her presence. Even though she knew the patriarch might've already been aware of her, she also remembered the turmoil from the ring, which told her that her children were in danger. "Moka, Pfaria, I'm coming." She then used her celerity and ran headlong towards the mountain.

* * *

Back at the castle, Moka couldn't help but tremble as she looked to the crushed remains of the tracking ring which lied by her right foot.

"_**NO!**_" a powerful female voice exclaimed within her mind. "_What have you done, Ura-chan?_"

"_I did what I had to do!_" came the vampire's frantic and telepathic reply, unnerved by her counterpart's accusation. "_This, this is no longer her concern!_"

"_We promised her we'd take care of Aneue and now you __**dare**__ claim it's no longer her concern? Don't __patronize me, Ura-chan,_" she spoke warningly, as a projection of her essence appeared before the vampire, "_and don't you __**DARE**__ patronize Hahau-e!_"

"Shut up!" the third-born daughter snapped, too enraged to realize that she'd spoken aloud. "You did not exist when **I** made that promise, so you have **no say** in the matter! _**I**_ made that promise,_** I**_ shall fulfill it as _**I**_ see fit!" She sent a brooding glare to her counterpart, outraged by her childish defiance. "You have gotten way too big for your britches, Omote! It's time you remembered your place!"

"_You're the one who's lost sight of yours,_" her alternate persona retorted with a firmness that she shouldn't have possessed. "_I was afraid you would've taken that horrible man's side if you awakened, but I never imagined you'd turn against all our friends for his sake. And now you break the promise we made to our own mother? You've more than crossed the line this time._" She then walked towards her creator, as her eyes glowed a fierce crimson shade. "_Step aside, Ura-chan._"

"_**NEVER!**_" the desperate sophomore screamed at the top of her lungs. "This is **my **body," she asserted, as her long fingers encircled the darkened cross on her chest, "and you are no longer welcome!"

The manifestation of her surface self gasped in horror, as her jade eyes went wide. "_**Ura-chan, NO!**_" she screamed, her powerful voice actually becoming audible at that juncture.

* * *

High up in the throne room, Shuzen watched the fight from his seat of power, as a gargantuan cyan aura surrounded him. As long as he remained on his throne, his regenerative capabilities were incredibly enhanced, and his godlike youki would've also been replenished. However, he realized his renegade daughter had used silver bullets when she shot him, which were proving difficult to have extricated, though he knew they would've been removed in a few minutes. However, when he considered who Pfaria fought against, he knew he might not have possessed the necessary time.

He watched the scene before him, and saw his daughters within a huge chamber supported by numerous columns, far below the upper keep where he was located. He saw Moka arguing with her surface self, which truly began to vex him. The artificial personality had become more problematic than he ever anticipated, one he planned to correct once the fight was over.

On that note, he looked on and saw his eldest daughter was starting to regain her footing. Even though she'd taken the worst of the impact after the fall through the ceiling, the fact that she was rising again demonstrated her vampire resilience. It also worried him, as it seemed Moka was unaware that her opponent hadn't yet been defeated. He looked back to her, saw both her hands around her Rosario, and instantly knew what she had planned. "Moka, no!" he called out as he instinctively rose from his chair.

He watched as the white-haired woman manifested her full youki, as a blazing crimson aura surrounded her, intermixed with wisps of ebony. She augmented her already superhuman strength and tightened her grip on her Rosario, planning to crush it along with her alter ego. Shuzen looked on saw his daughter's errant protector had summoned her own aura, and channeled it into the cross in order to prevent its destruction. "Moka, you fool!" he shouted. "If you destroy the Rosario, there'll be nothing to hide you from the Council! You know what'll happen if they become aware of your presence! Stop this, Moka, stop this at once!"

The third-born princess screamed in agony, seemingly oblivious to her father's commands. Shuzen seethed where he stood, incensed at being ignored. Though he knew he wasn't even close to being fully healed, he feared he might've had to act ahead of schedule, which annoyed him to no end. He soon saw Pfaria had regained her footing and closed in on her distracted opponent. "Watch out, Moka!" the patriarch called out, as his eldest daughter reared back and smashed her fist into the right side of the white-haired woman's face, which knocked her twenty feet across the room. She smashed sidelong into a huge support pillar, which shuddered from the impact but remained upright, while his daughter collapsed onto the floor, visibly injured from the assault.

* * *

Moka grimaced in agony as she found herself on her knees yet again, much to her discontent. Her right hand went to her face, while her left hand held her side. She surmised she'd cracked at least three ribs from the impact, and possibly had a fractured cheekbone. She hissed through clenched teeth, livid at her predicament. None of her previous opponents had ever injured her to such a degree, and it had begun to get on her nerves. Her father had always taught her that vampires were invincible, that no other life-form could've possibly challenged them, or ever dared to do so because they knew they would've been crushed. The fact that her opponent was proving otherwise incensed her, almost as much as the cursed whip on her thigh, which also conflicted with her philosophy.

She looked beside her, and saw her opponent across the room, her fist still extended after her attack. The fallen princess shot to her feet, and bared her fangs in anger. "You miserable coward! How dare you attack me so dishonorably!"

"Get over yourself," the rogue shot back, unapologetic in her tone. "You were the one who wasn't paying attention, you were just asking to be sucker punched. Doesn't feel good to be on the receiving end, does it? Yet that's what you've done this whole fight. And here you are lecturing _me_ about honor? Put a sock in it, kid, you clearly don't know what you're talking about."

"_**KHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHK!**_"

At that moment, the manifestation of her surface self appeared near her opponent. "_Thanks for stopping her Aneue,_" she began mentally, "_I really appreciate it._"

"Eh, what are you supposed to be," the silver-haired traitor asked with a perplexed look, "her conscience?"

"_It's... complicated,_" the projection of Moka's alternate persona replied warily as she looked off to the side.

"She is not my conscience!" the younger princess angrily declared. "She is absolutely nothing to me!"

"Oh yes, that's right," her opponent responded with a wry smirk coupled with a tilt of her head, "since when does a vampire have any _need_ for a conscience? Only trash concern themselves with useless concepts like right and wrong, how silly of me to forget."

Moka gave her an incredulous look, thunderstruck by her response. "Th-th-th-that is not what I meant!" she shot back frantically. "Stop twisting my words around to suit _you,_ traitor!"

"_You're no one to be whining about betrayal, Ura-chan!_" her alter ego spoke sharply as she spun around and bore her intense stare into her counterpart's mind. "_You're doing the same thing that old man did, trusting no one but yourself, and look what's happened. Hahau-e will be ashamed,_" she finished in a fading, echoing voice. As she closed her eyes, pink sparkles of light appeared around her translucent body and she vanished.

The younger princess gasped, horrified at the thought of experiencing her mother's disappointment. "Get back here, Omote!" she wailed bitterly. "I'm not done with you yet! _**OMOTE!**_" She held her head with both hands, as the image of Akasha Bloodriver, in all her vampiric glory, appeared in her mind.

"_You definitely take after your father,_" the ancient vampire spoke sadly as she turned away and vanished.

Moka gasped in emotional anguish and shivered involuntarily at the image, one she experienced many times during her childhood, and which she desperately wanted to have avoided at all costs. "Hahau-e," she uttered in a small, childish voice, "don't leave me."

"T'ch, that old bat abandoned her own children," came her opponent's acerbic voice, "why should she care about you? You're nothing but a doll, a cheap replica made so these idiots can forget that Moka is dead."

"That's not true!" the beleaguered daiyoukai shot back. "I, I didn't-" She immediately covered her mouth with her elongated fingers, shocked that she'd nearly revealed her identity to her opponent. She hissed to herself, livid at her careless tongue. However, she knew it was becoming more difficult to have justified her actions, and denied the identity of the woman before her. But then her pride asserted itself, and proclaimed that since she'd tried to murder her father, her name was irrelevant. She had committed treason, and deserved nothing but death, as Moka had proclaimed earlier. She knew she had to remain true to that, as dictated by her station. And yet, though her reasoning seemed sound, she didn't feel completely convinced, which continued to trouble her.

The white-haired woman got into a defensive position, and bared her fangs at her enemy. "It doesn't matter anymore," she spoke coldly. "You forfeited everything you once were when you turned against Chichiu-e. And for that, you will die."

"And you think _you're_ actually capable of taking me down," the rogue replied with an amused smirk. "Don't get ahead of yourself, kid, I've taken far worse than this from the old bat, and you're nowhere near her level. If those dinky little baby kicks are the best you've got you might as well quit."

Moka screamed in unbridled rage, as her gargantuan aura flared around her, scorching the pillar behind her. "_**DINKY LITTLE BABY KICKS!**_" she demanded, completely lost in her anger. "_**THAT'S IT! **_I'm not putting up with your crap anymore! I am going to_** END YOU! RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!**_"

The leather-clad daiyoukai actually grinned as she balled her fists and got into a defensive stance. "Don't screw up, kid," she remarked mockingly.

The younger princess charged forward with a nigh insane battlecry, leaped into the air and aimed a flying kick right at her opponent's grinning face. Her enemy ducked at the last moment, and Moka went flying over her. Her foot struck squarely into another column, which cracked noticeably from the impact. She nimbly landed on the floor, frustrated that her opening attack had missed. She then looked behind her, and saw her opponent rapidly closing in, her right fist already reared back. The white-haired woman turned and tumbled away as her enemy's punch sailed forth and struck the same column, which became even more fractured, as several pieces of broken stone fell off.

Moka stayed low to the ground, ran towards her opponent, planted her right hand squarely on the floor, swung her body around and delivered and massive roundhouse kick to the back of her left knee, which she'd attacked earlier. The taller woman stumbled from the attack, and Moka followed up with another kick that brought her down to one knee. The sophomore quickly stood up, spun around and nailed her in the side of the head with a reverse back kick that sent her enemy to the floor.

The sophomore quickly moved into striking position, and channeled all her remaining youki into her legs, as the floor underneath her cracked from the intense pressure. She watched as her opponent began to pull herself off the floor. "_With this final attack,_" the younger princess thought to herself, "_her __treason, and her life, will end._" After a few moments, her enemy finally got to her feet, facing away from Moka. The the third-born daughter of the Dark Lord continued to focus her youki as her opponent finally turned towards her. "_**PERFECT STRIKE!**_" she shouted, and unloaded with a colossal roundhouse kick that nailed her flush in the solar plexus with a thundering impact. The sound of breaking bones was heard, as well as the damaging of organs.

The rogue coughed up a mouthful of blood after the attack, and collapsed onto one knee, coughing painfully as her head became bowed. Moka stood with her back to her opponent, as her aura died down. She took one last look over her shoulder, then turned and began to walk away. Though she strove to look impassive, she still felt a gnawing sense of guilt within her heart, which annoyed her to no end. She was also quite exhausted, as the battle had taken its toll on her. She knew she would've had to ingest a lot of blood to recover from her injuries. "_It's over,_" she thought to herself. "_The threat has been neutralized, Chichiu-e will be pleased that I've defeated-_" She stopped in midstep, as she found herself on the verge of admitting her opponent's identity again. "No," she said in a worried tone, desperately trying to convince herself, "that... was not my sister. She meant... absolutely nothing to me."

"_How long are you going to keep lying to yourself, Ura-chan,_" her counterpart's voice spoke within her mind, coupled with a hard, accusing stare.

"_Shut up!_" Moka shot back mentally. "_I did what I had to do! She murdered Neesan, she tried to murder Chichiu-e, she deserves her fate._"

"_And you're alright with this,_" her suppressed self asked pointedly. "_Did you even try to understand why Aneue was doing all this, or were you just too busy trying to __**kill**__ her,_" she inquired with a vexed look as her eyes glowed red.

"_**SHUT UP!**_" the troubled princess all but screamed within her mind. "_She was trying to destroy my family, she had to be stopped! All who break the law of the vampire will die! No exceptions!_"

"_Oh _really," her alter ego replied, her hands on her hips. "_Did you forget that you _also_ broke the law? Why should Aneue die while you still live, hmm? Care to explain _that_ to me, Ura-chan?_"

"_**SHUT UP!**_" Moka screamed at the top of her lungs. "You can't imagine what would've happened if Chichiu-e-" She whimpered in anguish, so mortified by the thought that she couldn't have spoken it aloud. "I had to protect him," she confessed verbally, as she wrapped her arms around herself, "I need him, I love him." She morosely bowed her head of ivory hair, which covered her face like a curtain, as the tears streamed anew from her aggrieved crimson eyes.

"_And what of our friends,_" her counterpart asked softly, sadness in her sparkling emerald eyes. "_What of our mother, or Tsukune? Are they really so unworthy of your love?_" She groaned in pain, as her presence grew weaker. "_No, not now!_"

"They betrayed me!" the troubled vampire declared through her tears. "Tsukune betrayed me! Chichiu-e, is the only one I can count on."

"_That's not true! __**URA-CHAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_" her surface self cried out desperately as her voice faded into nothingness.

The white-haired woman stood still for a moment, alone in her thoughts again. But even then, the words of her human self still echoed within her consciousness, along with the image of her mother's disappointed face. She groaned in chagrin, as she struggled to will the disturbing thoughts out of her mind. "_No! I did the right thing! She had to be destroyed!_" It was then that she felt a sharp pain within her heart. In her mind she saw herself from ten years past, when she bravely stood between her mother and her defeated sister. She cried out in pain, as she shook her head vigorously and desperately tried to push the image out of her mind. She tightly shut her eyes, and grit her teeth together as she held the sides of her head, falling to her knees from the intense anguish.

After several long moments, her conscious mind had become clear, though a nagging hint of emptiness remained. "_Aneue wouldn't have fallen this easily,_" she mentally told herself. "_This travesty is not my sister. Even with Dracula's power she was no match for me._" However, she found no satisfaction in her words, which gnawed at her soul. She quickly dismissed it and looked to her fallen opponent, who was surprisingly still alive after her perfectly executed final attack. "You are so pathetic," she spoke in a cold, unfeeling voice, "the very notion of you thinking you could overthrow Chichiu-e is laughable. He is the strongest of the Three Dark Lords, no power in this world can ever defeat him. You were a fool to even try."

The defeated rogue said nothing, her head still bowed, as her right arm rested upon her knee.

Moka knit her eyebrows together, a bit annoyed by her enemy's lack of response. "Do you truly feel nothing," she inquired coldly, "no remorse for what you've done here? What you've done to, my family!" The pain of her wounded heart flared up again, and she found herself unable to suppress it at that juncture. "They were your family, too! How could you do this, how could you try to take away everything I love? Everything **we** loved!" She growled in aggravation, livid at herself for her unintended confession. "Did it all mean nothing to you, have you forgotten everything we shared together," she pleaded, as her heart felt like it was bursting within her chest. "_**ANSWER ME, PFARIA!**_"

The beaten figure remained silent, and made no indication that she'd even heard her desperate pleas.

The younger princess snarled hatefully, infuriated with her enemy as well as herself. "Forget it," she spoke with a contemptuous scowl, "regardless of whether you remember or not, _**IT'S OVER!**_" She concentrated her remaining youki, and channeled it into her legs, as a gargantuan demonic aura surrounded her. "_**OHODO SHI EI!**_" she shouted as she ran towards her enemy, spun around in mid-step and delivered an immensely powerful reverse roundhouse kick. However, before the back of her heel made contact, the fallen enemy's right arm quickly came up and expertly blocked the attack. Moka stumbled for several seconds before she managed to retain her balance. However, she couldn't have dismissed the shock she felt that her finishing maneuver had been parried.

"Over," the supposedly defeated Pfaria asked defiantly, "you think this is over?" She finally raised her head, and revealed a bloody yet confident grin on her battered face. As she breathed heavily, she rested her right arm on her knee, and then brandished her left fist. "Think again."

Moka looked at her sister's fist, and was positively thunderstruck as she saw a familiar artifact on the back of her glove. "_**Another**__ Rosario?_"

The eldest sister gripped the edge of her jacket sleeve and pulled it down, which revealed a metal band around her wrist with a button on the side. She pressed the button with her left thumb, and the silver cross popped out of its base. She deftly caught the cross, and began to chuckle as a titanic demonic aura erupted around her.

* * *

Up in the throne room, Shuzen growled to himself as he watched what had just occurred. Though he knew he was still vulnerable while the bullets remained in his legs, he was certain neither combatant could've risked approaching him until the other was defeated, which meant his safety was assured, at least for the time being.

"So it's finally come to this," he mused, trying to ignore the pain in his injured limbs, "Moka, you have fought valiantly up to this point. But now that Pfaria has released her second seal, your defeat is imminent." He groaned to himself, saddened by his own admission. "Regardless of your intentions, or how much you believe in your cause; in this world, and in all worlds, the strongest one always wins. Very soon, both you and your sister will realize this."

* * *

The girls made their way towards where they believed the battle between the vampire sisters continued. Though their injuries hindered their progress, they were still concerned about their misguided former friend, so they continued downstairs. Suddenly, they felt the release of an immeasurable demonic aura, which shook even the stairway they stood upon, thus forcing them to stop.

"What the hecht is that," the succubus asked fearfully, frightened by the manifested youki she felt. "It makes Moka's aura look like nothing!" She suddenly winced in pain, and clutched at her heart.

"Kurumu-san!" Yukari cried out.

"You alright," Mizore asked in concern.

The cyan-haired girl continued to suffer, as she recognized the horrible energy from before. "No, this is, Dracula's power."

"What," the younger witch asked timidly, "you mean Moka-san is actually using it, desu?"

Kurumu shook her head in response. "It's not her," she replied, "it's, someone else." The rose brooch on her chest glowed, and the air seemed to waver before her. She soon saw her former friend in another room, who looked on in shock at her opponent, who radiated the same aura she felt earlier. "Oh no, not her!" she screamed.

"Kurumu-san," Yukari asked with a confused look.

"There's no time to waste!" the succubus shot back. "Moka's in **real** danger!" She immediately moved past the others and headed downstairs.

"Wait for us, desu!"

* * *

Pfaria chuckled wickedly as her full power was finally released. The manifested youki was so oppressive that it began to push Moka back. She silently cursed herself, incensed that she'd underestimated her opponent. She was also quite concerned, for she'd already used a tremendous amount of her demonic energy just to have overcome the first two phases of the fight, only to discover her sister had one last hand to play. She groaned in chagrin, appalled that she still thought of the madwoman as her sibling, when it couldn't have been further from the truth. Despite what her heart and her counterpart might've proclaimed, she saw her opponent as nothing but a tool of Dracula, clearly drunk off the power he'd granted her.

The white-haired woman looked on as her sister rose to her feet, invigorated by the release of her second seal. She began to laugh out loud, and spread her arms out wide in elation. As she did, Moka noticed her bosom swelling underneath her heavy jacket, which could've no longer concealed its size. Her bandanna flew off, which made her lengthening silver hair shoot straight up. Her legs expanded noticeably from under her black jeans. The amount of power being released frightened the sophomore, as she'd forgotten her sister's true strength. Even worse, she'd apparently been empowered by Dracula, which made her plight even more dire.

Around that time, she winced in pain, as she felt the cursed energy within her pulsating longingly. She even felt her muscles expanding slightly, and then contracting without her consent. Her emerald jacket grew tight and loosened, and the buttons on her blouse became even more strained. The resulting distraction caused her to lose her footing, and she stumbled back several feet before she could've regained it. She cursed herself for her lapse, disgusted to have possessed even a fraction of Dracula's power, the resonating darkness called to the very core of her being, and she couldn't deny its seductiveness, as evidenced by the enthralled moan that escaped her. She then grimaced in response, cried out in chagrin and quickly covered herself, as she struggled to suppress the growing darkness within her.

"No!" she groaned through clenched teeth. "I mustn't, I won't lose myself to this, blasphemous power!" She cried out in pain, as a familiar scene appeared in her mind. "Tsukune."

"_You dare talk back to me,_" the image of her missing friend asked with a brooding scowl. "_Pathetic, I should just confiscate what you've received, but then you'd learn nothing. No, I foresee a much more appropriate fate for you._"

"_Fate,_" Outer Moka asked timidly from the dark recesses of her mind. "_Tsukune, what do you mean?_"

"_The time will come when everything you cherish will be threatened once more. And if you again refuse to utilize your gift, it will all be destroyed._"

"_**SHUT UP!**_" the stricken sophomore screamed in rage, as Dracula's energy continued to pulsate within her body. "You betrayed me! I'll never submit to this disgusting power, _**LIKE YOU DID TSUKUNE!**_" she shrieked defiantly, as she brought her full mental might upon the beckoning darkness within her. After several agonizing seconds, the throbbing within her dulled considerably, though it also brought her to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering from the reminder of the cursed power within her. "That power only destroys, there's no place in the world for it."

She remained on the floor for several seconds, and soon felt her opponent's aura had been completely released. She looked up at her, appalled that she'd embraced the same darkness that consumed Tsukune as well as her alter ego. "Aneue," she asked in a small voice, "why? Do you really hate Chichiu-e this much?" Her memories of her sister came back to her, and made her grimace as she saw what she'd become.

Pfaria stood in place, as her much longer bangs fell into her eyes. She breathed heavily for a few moments, a rapturous grin on her pale face. "Ah, my full power," she began with a contented exhale, "I'd forgotten how good it feels."

"Don't delude yourself," Moka said sternly as she rose to her feet. "This isn't _your_ strength, it's the power of that, usurper!" she proclaimed, too disgusted to speak her enemy's name. "Were it not for that you'd already be dead!"

The taller vampire chuckled in response. "Oh, you think so, do you," she asked with an amused smirk. "That was a decent hit you landed back there, but it wasn't enough. And now that you've wasted your best move this fight is as good as mine."

The white-haired woman looked to her in disbelief, livid at what she'd heard. "You, you coward!" she declared. "A vampire **always** fights with her full strength! Holding back is a weakness which will only get you killed! You know you can't defeat me so you resorted to such cowardly tactics!"

"I call it fighting smart," the rogue replied, as she gestured with her arms and tilted her head to the side. "Going all-out from the get-go will wear you out quick. Better to conserve your strength, study your opponent and let them wear themselves out, _then_ move in with your full power. Makes the fight more worthwhile."

"That is the mentality of a weakling!" the younger princess proclaimed, as she pointed her elongated finger at her opponent. "A true vampire always fights with her full strength because she knows in her heart that no power in the world can ever defeat her! The fact that would you hold back demonstrates you have no pride in your own power! A weak-minded fool like you can **never** defeat me!"

Her opponent threw her head back in laughter as she folded her arms under her chest. "And you're calling me deluded? Man, the old man has you wrapped around his little finger, doesn't he? That's definitely how he thinks." She coughed for a moment, and rubbed her stomach for a moment. "Too bad for you, that line of thinking is about to get you killed. Remember, pride cometh before the fall."

Moka screamed in rage, furious by her enemy's haughty words. She immediately broke into a sprint and ran headlong for her opponent.

* * *

Kurumu led the others into an enormous room supported by several pillars, confident that they were nearing the battle scene. Her guess was soon confirmed by the sounds of fighting close to them. They went forward, and saw soon Moka engaged in heated combat with her misguided sister, though with less than favorable results.

"Oh my gosh," the cyan-haired girl spoke under her breath, "those kicks are doing nothing to her!"

"This is bad," Mizore added, her mouth agape in shock. "I had no idea Pfaria had three forms."

"But she has to win!" Yukari insisted. "If Moka-san loses-" She stopped in mid-sentence, too aghast to have verbalized her fears.

"And what if she wins," the yuki onna asked, "will we be next?"

The smaller girl grimaced in response, still appalled at the thought that her close friend had tried to kill her earlier.

They looked on as Moka unloaded with a series of roundhouse and side kicks, yet none of them seemed to inflict any damage on her older sister. It reminded the girls of when she desperately fought against Kuyou atop the academy building, with similar results. But back then, she'd been weakened after she'd given her blood to Tsukune, which nearly led to her death. In the present, she seemed to have her full fighting capabilities, yet against the oldest of the four sisters, they seemed frighteningly ineffective. After receiving over thirty kicks, Pfaria blocked the next one and reared back with her right fist, which glowed with a bright lavender aura. "_**USELESS!**_" she shouted, as she punched Moka flush in the face, which resulted in a powerful explosion that knocked her back thirty feet until she collided with another column, which cracked badly from the impact.

"_**MOKA-SAN!**_" Yukari instinctively cried out, but then covered her mouth and backed away.

"Oh crap," Mizore added with a blank look, "did she get hit by a punch or a missile?"

"She did _that _much damage with one attack," Michiru asked, intimidated by what she'd just seen as she watched the younger princess slumped onto her posterior. "Was Kahlua-san right all along? Does Moka-san really have no chance?"

"Don't say that!" the smaller witch snapped as she turned to her. "Moka-san can win this, I know she can!"

"Yukari-chan, stop!" Kurumu interjected in an urgent whisper. "You wanna let her know we're here?"

The child prodigy gulped hard in response, her violet eyes wide in fear. She realized she'd forgotten that sound traveled, and shivered to herself. She look around the column she hid behind, and saw Pfaria headed towards her opponent in a slow, casual gait. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad she hadn't alerted the eldest sister to their presence.

"Do you think she heard us," the purple-haired girl asked in a whisper.

"If she did," the incognito shadow creature replied, "she doesn't seem too concerned about us, yet."

Ruby inhaled sharply, as she looked to the confiscated item within her robe.

"But if she does decide to target us, what do we do then?"

"There might be one way," the older witch replied somberly. She saw everyone turned to her, and with a solemn look, she reached into her robe and pulled out a familiar object, which everyone gape in abject fear.

"No way," Mizore silently exclaimed, "how'd you get a hold of Maggie?"

"I was afraid Moka-san couldn't have fought her sister effectively as long as she held this gun. It took a lot of effort, but we finally managed to disarm her." The dark-haired woman sighed gravely, as she considered her former friend's plight. "Now I'm starting to wonder if it made any difference."

"It did," the yuki onna replied assertively, "because now we might actually need it."

"Mizore-san!" the youngest of the group protested, incensed by the suggestion.

"There's no guarantee she'll win this, Yukari-chan. And even if she does, what then? Either way, we're gonna need it."

The brunette looked to her in horror, as tears ran from her eyes. "No, you can't," she protested weakly, "not Moka-san." She felt herself turned away, and pulled into a firm yet soft embrace.

"Yukari-chan," Kurumu said sadly, also disturbed at the thought of shooting their classmate.

She looked into the room, and saw Pfaria had finally reached Moka, who'd yet to have risen from the floor. The eldest sister grabbed her opponent by the back of her jacket, and pulled her to her feet. She then grabbed her shoulder, and pushed her up against the column. She then concentrated her youki into her right fist and reared back. Suddenly, Moka dropped down onto her butt, and the intended blow streaked forward and smashed into the damaged pillar, which shuddered and then began to crumble. The younger vampire scampered away, as the pieces of the support began to fall around the area, and created a huge dustcloud. Pfaria merely stood in place, seemingly oblivious to what was occurring. She looked up, and saw a large section of the column, over ten feet in length and four feet thick, was falling right towards her.

"No way!" the cyan-haired girl exclaimed in shock. "Is she nuts?"

"_**ANEUE!**_" Moka cried out from where she lied on the floor.

Pfaria raised both hands, and the large piece of stone fell into her grasp. The immense force nearly drove her down to her knees with a pained groan. After several intense seconds, the girls watched as the madwoman slowly began to straighten herself up, much to their disbelief. The eldest sister soon stood up straight, and with a clearly strained growl, lifted the huge stone high overhead. She then turned to her left, and with one mighty heave, she threw it across the room, which unfortunately was right towards the academy students, who quickly scattered like cockroaches as the broken column fragment bounced off the floor three times and flew smashed into the wall behind them.

Kurumu looked back to the huge piece of debris, almost paralyzed in fear at what had nearly occurred. "Oh my gosh," she spoke in a trembling voice. "This, this can't be happening."

"It is," Mizore replied in an offhand manner, "but I'll put a stop to it." She then turned to the older witch. "Ruby, the gun."

"Are you sure about this," the dark-haired woman asked with an uncertain look.

"I can't take any more chances. Once I get a clear shot I'll blow her head off."

"Mizore-san!" Yukari protested, but was interrupted by a soft yet form hand on her shoulder. She looked, and saw the cyan-haired girl behind her. "Kurumu-san, why?"

The voluptuous teenager gave her head a sad shake, than looked towards the yuki onna. "Mizore-chan, can you really do this?"

"There's no time for debate, we have to stop those two idiots, by any means necessary."

Ruby sighed gravely, and then placed the huge handgun in the sophomore's grip. "Very well, but be careful. Pfaria-san seems to know we're here."

Mizore merely looked to the huge boulder by the wall, which she surmised was a warning from the deranged vampire. "Yeah, I got that impression, too." She then turned to the others. "Stay here, I'll be back." She then slinked into the shadows and headed along the edges of the room.

"Mizore-chan," the incognito succubus spoke sadly, distraught at how their quest had progressed. Though she knew the yuki onna wore an impassive expression virtually all of the time, she knew she was anything but emotionless, and was most likely troubled by the prospect of killing Moka as well. Though she also knew their options had become very limited at that juncture.

* * *

The purple-haired girl slowly progressed around the outer edge of the room, and reined in her youki so she wouldn't have alerted either vampire of her presence. She briefly peered around another column, and saw Moka had risen from the floor. She gingerly moved in on her opponent, clearly in an excruciating amount of pain. Pfaria slowly turned around and noticed her approach, almost lackadaisical as her sister drew near. The white-haired woman unleashed a roundhouse kick right to the jaw, though it had virtually no effect. The taller woman's head snapped to the side and nothing more. The younger princess then followed up with a spinning reverse roundhouse kick right to the temple, but that also proved futile.

"This is bad," Mizore whispered to herself as the fight raged on, "her moves are a lot slower, and they lack their usual punch." She held the huge firearm in both hands, glad her mother had taught her how to use a gun. "Tsukune," she spoke somberly as she closed her eyes, "forgive me, for what I must now do."

She looked on, and saw Moka had concentrated her remaining youki. The daiyoukai unleashed a rapid series of side kicks right at her sister's stomach, who merely stood in place as she was bombarded. The white-haired woman focused her energy, and delivered one last kick right into her sister's solar plexus, which resulted in a thundering impact. Without warning, the eldest sister grabbed her extended leg with both hands, and hurled her to the side like a rag doll. The third-born daughter of Issa Shuzen collided with another column, bounced off the unforgiving support and landed hard on the floor. "Too weak," Pfaria noted, clearly unfazed and unimpressed by her opponent's desperate assault.

"Perfect," Mizore spoke under her breath, stood up and took aim at the deranged vampire.

Suddenly, the intended target groaned and leaned over, as her hand went to her stomach. "What the hell," she asked in a pained voice.

The yuki onna held back for a moment, since she'd lost her shot at that juncture. "Heh, guess Senpai was right," she noted dryly, "you hit someone enough times in the same spot, they'll feel it, regardless of how tough they are." She merely waited for Pfaria to have stood up straight again. "But Moka's on her last legs, she'll never beat her like this. So it's up to me."

A few moments later, her target finally straightened up, and Mizore took aim. However, as she tried to pull the trigger, she found it surprising resistant to get grip. She even tried both of her index fingers, yet the vital part refused to budge. "No, don't tell me the gun's jammed. Not now!" she silently declared, shocked at the badly-timed obstacle. Again she struggled to have pulled the trigger, but to no avail.

Suddenly, she felt a dark presence behind her. Instinctively, she spun around and aimed the gun, and found herself looking at the former PSC agent, who emitted a barely suppressed gasp in response. The yuki onna exhaled through clenched teeth as she lowered her weapon. "Michiru, a word of advise," she spoke in a deflated voice, "_never_ sneak up on someone with a loaded gun."

"I'll keep that in mind," the dark-haired woman replied warily. "What's wrong, Mizore-san, why are you hesitating?"

The purple-haired girl sighed gravely as she looked to the firearm in her hands. "The gun seems to be jammed, no matter how hard I try, I can't pull the trigger."

"Are you sure, wasn't it working fine earlier? Pfaria-san seemed to have no problem-" She flexed her index finger several times, and her eyes went wide in realization. "Maybe that's the idea, maybe she's the only one who can fire it."

Mizore flexed her own finger, the same motion required to have pulled the trigger. It was then that she remembered Moka's sister was also a vampire, with superhuman strength and abilities. She slapped her hand over her forehead in disbelief. "Oh man, how could I have been so stupid?" She then looked to the huge handgun. "I made the same mistake she did, thinking this was just another weapon anyone could've used."

"So basically," Michiru stated flatly, her shoulders slumped over in chagrin, "the gun is of no use to us."

The purple-haired girl shook her head, still shocked that she'd overlooked such a vital detail. "I have to get this out of here, I can't let that nutcase get a hold of it again."

"Alright, be careful my friend."

* * *

Kurumu looked on from her vantage point. Though Moka had regained advantage, the succubus feared it would've been only temporary. "What's taking her so long," the voluptuous teenager asked under her breath, her frustration growing by the moment. "If Mizore-chan doesn't act soon, Moka's really going to get killed!"

"What could've happened," Yukari asked worriedly, as she held her fists close to her body, which trembled with anxiety, "isn't there any way Moka can win, desu?"

"What are you saying," the older girl asked in disbelief. "Can't you see what's happening? The difference in power is just too great! There's no way Moka can possibly-" She gasped in shock, as a realization came to her. She remembered the vampire's transformation in the bottom of the academy dungeon. "Wait a minute, she _can,_" she spoke with an awed look. She then looked towards her former friend, who had managed to push her sister back with a flurry of insanely powerful kicks. "Darn it, what is she waiting for!" she asked in aggravation. "If she doesn't get serious, she's gonna die!"

Ruby sighed gravely as she looked to the cyan-haired girl. "You mean Dracula's power," she interjected. "I fear it's not that simple, Kurumu-san. While the other Moka employed it against Colton, this one refused to, regardless of what happened in the fight." She looked to the floor, as she gingerly wrapped her arms around herself. "She hates Dracula, that much is obvious. But I fear she might hate him so much she will refuse to utilize his power, even if it means her death."

The incognito succubus gaped in horror and disbelief, aghast that she'd overlooked such a possibility.

"I'm sorry," the older witch spoke somberly, "if only I hadn't tried to awaken the other Moka, it wouldn't have come to this."

"That's not true!" Yukari retorted.

But before she could've elaborated, a tremendous impact was heard, followed by an agonized groan. Everyone turned, and saw Moka leaning over her sister's knee, with a thunderstruck expression on her battered face. Her reaction indicated she might've suffered several broken ribs from the attack. Pfaria then followed up with a massive uppercut that caught her opponent right under the chin. "What," the white-haired woman asked as she was sent flying through the air.

"_**MOKA-SAN!**_" the young witch screamed in terror as she ran from her hiding place.

"Yukari-chan, no!" Ruby called out, but her fellow spellcaster was already headed to where the younger princess would've soon landed. Moreover, she saw Kurumu was right behind her. "What are they doing," she asked. "If they get involved now, they'll get killed!"

The child prodigy watched with a terrified look as the white-haired woman slowly plummeted towards the floor. She landed hard on her shoulder, flipped over and slid facedown across the floor. The brunette hurried to her side, aghast at seeing her in such a terrible state. It was far worse than what she'd suffered during the cafeteria brawl, or any other of her battles. "Moka-san," she spoke urgently as she pushed on her uninjured shoulder, "Moka-san, please get up! Get up, Moka-san!"

The fallen vampire growled in agony and aggravation, clearly in excruciating pain after the last attack.

"Come on, Moka!" Kurumu interjected as she came up near her classmates. "If you don't get serious about this fight, you will **die!**"

"Back off, brats!" Pfaria called out from where she stood. "Or would you like to be broken along with this defective little doll?"

"Shut up!" Yukari shrieked as she turned her tear-streaked face towards the madwoman. "How dare you talk about your own sister like this, desu!"

"That is not my sister!" the leather-clad daiyoukai insisted as she pointed towards the prone form of her opponent. "Moka is dead, the old geezers saw to that!"

"_**YOU'RE WRONG!**_" the small witch declared in near despair. "Pfaria-san, your sister is alive! She's right there!" she exclaimed as she pointed towards her classmate. "Open your eyes and stop this foolishness, desu!"

"Mind your own business! I've waited too long for this moment to let a little brat like you stop me!"

A pained groan came from the floor behind the child prodigy. She looked over her shoulder, and saw her former friend had begun to stir. "Moka-san," she called out as she ran to her side, "Moka-san, please stop this!"

"Get away from me!" the badly wounded daiyoukai growled in a hoarse voice, as she feebly lashed out with her right arm. "I don't need your help," she continued as she struggled to lift herself off the floor, "I am a vampire... I can never be defeated."

"Could've fooled me," the incognito succubus snidely replied.

"What was that," the fallen princess weakly demanded as she held her left shoulder. "Do not test me, wench, or I'll disembowel you after I'm done with this idiot."

"_**STOP IT!**_" Yukari shrieked at the top of her small lungs, as bitter tears flowed from her violet eyes. "What is wrong with you people," she asked with an appalled look as she regarded both sisters. "All you're thinking about is killing each other, desu!"

"And what's wrong with that," the badly injured daiyoukai asked defiantly as she rose to her knees. "I am a vampire, killing is what I do best. This idiot will be just another victim of my sovereign power, like all who dare oppose me."

"But she's your sister! Is _this_ how vampires solve problems, just kill the person who caused them? That's... that's so, _**STUPID!**_"

A somber exhale escaped Pfaria as she folded her arms under her ample chest. "You're right, kid," she began in a more rational tone, "but vampires will never change. Anyone who tries to rock the boat will get thrown off and drowned, just like my mother," she continued, as she bared her bloodied fangs in anger. "That's why they must all be destroyed, so they can't poison this world anymore with their disgusting presence."

"I'll never allow that!" Moka declared through her pain as she forced herself to her feet. "I'll end your insane bloodlust with my own hands!"

"You're the one who's about to be ended, kid, or are you too proud to realize you're on the losing end of this fight?"

"Do not delude yourself, I can crush you with a single blow!"

"Then why haven't you," the voluptuous teenager asked with a challenging tone. "Do you _really_ think you can defeat someone like her without using your full power?"

"What are you talking about!" the younger princess angrily demanded, as she remained hunched over, favoring her left shoulder.

"What, do I need to spell it out to you? Or have you simple taken one too many shots to the head?"

Moka growled viciously, though her menacing glare was hampered by her nigh decrepit physical condition.

"Save it for your opponent," Kurumu shot back, "but enough with these childish games. Demonstrate your sovereign power! Unleash your majesty of darkness!" she declared with her arms outspread.

The white-haired woman gasped aloud, her crimson eyes wide with terror. "No! Absolutely not!" she protested vehemently. "How dare you make such a blasphemous suggestion! That power is a travesty, an outrage against all vampires! I will not desecrate my body for your sick sadistic amusement!"

"Would you rather die instead," the incognito succubus asked pointedly, "because that's what'll happen if you keep fighting like this! And I refuse to let all our time together end because **someone** decided to have a stupidity attack at the worst possible moment! So swallow your pride and do it!"

"_**NEVER!**_" the barely rational vampire declared in outrage, as a gargantuan demonic aura erupted from around her, which knocked Kurumu and Yukari back across the room, while Pfaria stood her ground. "I never, ever, ever, ever, _**EVER SWALLOW MY PRIDE!**_ _**All**_ the Hells in _**all**_ the dimensions would have to freeze over before I even begin to consider something so atrocious, so abhorrent against my divine existence! I would rather be tortured for an eternity in an ocean full of holy water than cast aside my most treasured part of myself! It is the defining feature of _**ALL**_ vampires! Without it our sacred existence would have no meaning!"

Her rant was quickly stopped by a crushing grip on her scalp, which made her grimace in agony. "This is why I can't stand vampires," the familiar voice of Pfaria spoke coldly from behind her. "They're just _too proud_ to consider the error of their ways. _**TOO STUPIDLY PROUD!**_" she shouted, as she tightened her grip on Moka's head, which made her cry out in pain. "Those kids went out of their way for you and **again** you blow them off! Well I've seen enough of this sideshow. If you're not going to swallow your pride," the eldest sister continued, as she lifted her captive high off her feet. "You can _**EAT THE FLOOR INSTEAD!**_" she screamed, as she viciously drove her face into the unforgiving stone surface, and made a sizable crater within it.

Near the far end of the room, Yukari groaned as she regained her senses. Once she did, she found herself on her posterior, and felt a familiar softness pressed against the back of her shoulders. She looked behind her, and saw the seemingly unconscious form of Kurumu, who lied against a huge pillar. The small witch's violet eyes went wide, as she quickly realized what had just occurred. "Kurumu-san, Kurumu-san wake up!" she desperately pleaded. "Please don't tell me you hit your head! Kurumu-san, there was no need for that. I have powerful self-regeneration, you don't! I would've been fine, really!"

Suddenly, the same aura that had knocked them both across the room erupted once more. She looked ahead, and watched as the fallen form of her classmate picked herself off the floor, bathed in a gargantuan crimson aura. "Moka-san."

"_**THAT'S IT!**_" the wounded princess declared in satanic rage as she glared at her sister. "_**I'M NOT PUTTING UP WITH YOUR CRAP ANYMORE! THIS TIME I WILL DESTROY EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY AND REDUCE YOU TO NOTHING!**_"

"I wouldn't bank on it, kid," Pfaria retorted casually. "You can barely stand up, let alone fight. And you still think you can take me down? Knock yourself out." Suddenly, a titanic lavender aura surrounded her, which clearly dwarfed that of her opponent. "**But you'd better get the job done this time,**" she continued in an echoing, challenging voice, "**or you're going down!**"

"That will **never** happen! I'm putting _**EVERYTHING**_ I have into this last attack! All of my pride, all of my strength, all of my rage, and all of my life!" Her aura blazed with even greater intensity, which damaged some of the nearby columns and began to crack the floor beneath her. "_**AND I'LL END YOURS!**_"

"_**BRING IT!**_"

In the far end of the room, the young witch found herself paralyzed with fear, as the vampire's auras began to shake the entire chamber. Pieces of rock began to fall from the columns, and dust fell from the high ceiling. "Oh no," she spoke timidly, as she felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Is this really the end, desu?"

"Yukari-chan!" a female voice cried out from the distance.

The small brunette looked beside her, and saw her fellow witch headed her way, with the former PSC agent by her side. "Ruby-san!" she called out in elation and relief.

"Yukari-chan," the former assistant of Mikogami spoke urgently, "we need to get out of here!"

"But what about Kurumu-san? And where's Mizore-san?"

"She's safe," Michiru spoke up, "she got out earlier. I'll help with Kurumu-san and we'll rejoin her."

"We need to hurry!" Ruby interjected. "This last exchange could destroy the whole room, possibly the whole castle!"

The small witch was thunderstruck by what she'd heard. She looked back to the two combatants, as they both manifested their full power. She saw Moka made the first move, as she charged towards her older sister, oblivious to everything except the fight. A bloodthirsty scream of infinite rage was projected from her throat as she leaped towards her opponent, who had braced herself for the oncoming attack. "_**PERFECT STRIKE!**_" the younger princess shouted, as she swung her powerful leg towards her adversary. Once it connected, a gargantuan explosion of youki erupted, which engulfed them and everything in a thirty foot radius. Several more pillars were badly cracked, and two closest to the epicenter seemed to be on the verge of collapsing.

Yukari shielded herself as the youki and dust blew past her, frightened by the full power of her former friend. It never ceased to amaze her how much power she could've generated, even then when she was virtually at her limits.

It was almost fifteen seconds later that the eruption subsided. The small witch curiously looked ahead, and she covered her gaping mouth, as her eyes went wide in disbelief. She saw the younger princess, her leg still extended and her aura expended. She looked down to her attacking foot, and gasped as she saw it trapped in the clutches of her opponent. "No way!" the child prodigy exclaimed. "She caught Moka-san's last attack, with one hand?"

"**Is that it,**" Pfaria asked with an insulted look, still bathed in her own youki, "_**this**_** is all your pride, all your strength, all your rage, all your life? **_**This **_**is everything you are?** **Pathetic, you're really nothing but a doll, a cheap replica of my dead sister. Your life isn't worth**_** SQUAT!**_"

The white-haired woman looked on in horror, as a pained whimper escaped her. Yukari was even more shocked, for she'd never known her classmate to have ever been afraid. The scene before her seemed so surreal, that she wondered if her eyes were deceiving her.

"Yukari-chan, we need to go!" Ruby spoke urgently, as she began to pull her fellow witch away from the immensely destructive battle that seemed on the verge of its earth-shaking conclusion.

"No," the young witch pleaded, as she reached out towards her frightened friend. "Moka-san!"

"**Now it ends,**" the eldest sister spoke simply, her calm tone a stark contrast with the murderous intent within her.

"No, don't!" the sophomore actually pleaded, thunderstruck that her final attack had failed.

Unfazed, Pfaria gave her leg a casual shove, which caused her to spin around, barely able to keep her balance. The strongest of the four vampire sisters measured her target, channeled all her youki into her right fist, and reared back.

"_**ANEUE!**_" Moka screamed desperately, clearly terrified of what would've soon followed.

"_**BIG BANG BLOW!**_" the leather-clad daiyoukai shouted, as she drove her aura-enhanced fist right into her opponent's face, which resulted in a titanic explosion of youki that engulfed the entire room. Pillars collapsed around her, along with pieces of the ceiling, which littered the whole room with debris and concealed everything in a colossal dustcloud. The younger princess' body went flying back, smashing through two pillars before it finally smashed into the corner of the room, and slumped limply onto the floor.

Yukari looked on from just outside the exit, horrified as the room continued to collapse before her. "_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"

* * *

Up in the throne room, Shuzen watched in abject horror, aghast at what had just occurred. "_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "_**MOKAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_" His head fell like a rock in water, as did his spirits. "It's over, it's all over."

* * *

Akasha briskly made her way up the side of the mountain, passing by trees at an incredible rate. Though she sensed several youkis on the mountain, she paid them no heed as she continued towards the castle.

Suddenly, a sharp pain arose in her heart, which soon halted her progress. The elder vampire clutched her chest, as it felt like a part of her own being had been ripped from her. "No," she uttered with an anguished expression, her current pain far greater than what she suffered in the crash. "Moka, it can't be." She wrapped her arms around herself, as her body shivered uncontrollably. "She can't be gone. Is this Pfaria's doing, or was it, Issa?" She cringed where she stood, as she recalled how her ex-husband had nearly killed Moka once. She then remembered how Gyokuro had targeted her Pfaria earlier in the week, and gasped in horror at the thought of her targeting Moka as well. She looked up from her position, and saw she was still a long way from the summit. "Please, Moka-chan, hold on!" She then continued her intense sprint through the forest that went up the mountainside.

* * *

Mizore carefully made her way from the huge chamber where the vampire sisters fought within. Though it was all but completely dark due to the unlit torches, flashes of lightning sporadically illuminated the hallway the yuki onna was within. Though it made the castle seem even more ominous, she had a small inkling of where she was headed, so she was grateful for the small blessing.

She tightly held the huge gun to her chest, distraught that her plan to have saved Moka had failed. She found she'd walked around fifty feet from the room, so she surmised she was safe, and prayed Pfaria never suspected she had her prized weapon. Though she feared she would've searched Ruby first, she only hoped her former classmate could've stopped her before then.

Suddenly, an immeasurable aura flared up in the room, which was followed by a titanic explosion, coupled with the sound of breaking pillars, and then one final crash. Even the hallway began to shake from the destruction behind her, which she feared was the end of the battle. After it finally subsided, she found herself unable to have sensed her friend's aura. "No," she spoke worriedly, as a looming dread filled her heart. "Moka!"

At that moment, lightning from outside the castle illuminated the corridor again, and Mizore turned and saw a figure before her, one with glowing red eyes. The yuki onna's crystal blue eyes went wide, shocked by the newcomer.

* * *

Holy smokes! Did Moka-san just lose? If she did, who's going to stop Pfaria now? And just who did Mizore encounter outside the dreadful scene?

"Geez, Author-san, I told you that you should've brought Tsukune-san back, he could've beat up that crotchety old man and saved Moka-san! You're such a meanie, desu!"

_CLANG!_

_OW!_ Now I know how Kurumu feels. Anyway, tune in for the final part of this exciting arc with Part II Chapter X Sororicide II


	13. Part II Chapter X

A/N: Hello everyone. Sorry for the extended delay, real life has such a way of draining one's time and motivation. And, sad to say, the arc won't end here, but definitely in the next chapter.

"About time, this place gives me the creeps. I need to blow this joint and save my Mate of Fate!"

"Oh no you don't, Tsukune is mine!"

"He's ours, Moka-san! We'll make such a great couple after he wastes Dracula and brings peace to the world, desu!"

"Or leaves it in pieces."

"Always the optimist, eh Al?"

Yeah, and before I forget, the following chapter contains scenes depicting child abuse. Those offended by such need not read. And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectively. And, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter X  
Sororicide II

Pfaria remained in place, her fist still extended after her last attack, as the room continued to collapse around her. Though her opponent's last ditch effort was surprisingly effective, the release of the eldest sister's finishing maneuver left no doubt about who was the stronger fighter, as evidenced by the crumbling columns and ceiling.

The triumphant vampire lowered her head, closed her eyes and became introspective, as she ignored the sounds of destruction around her. "_Hmph, it's been too long since I got this serious about a fight,_" she thought to herself. "_Hard to believe that faker actually pushed me this far. No matter, it's over now, and once I find the old man, I'll finish him off and be rid of this wretched life forever._"

She then changed to a more neutral stance, and stretched her arms out wide with a satisfied groan, invigorated after the grueling battle. It was then she noticed that the sleeves of her leather jacket felt tighter, as well as around her shoulders. Upon further inspection she noticed her black jeans had also grown significantly more constricting, especially around her thighs and derriere. "What the hecht," she asked with a confused look. Tentatively, she reached back with her right hand and felt her posterior. A thin scowl appeared on her face as she realized that her rear end was much firmer than she remembered, as well as larger. She then reached for the back of her thigh, and felt the same increased firmness. "What is this," she asked, angry as well as suspicious. The eldest sister knew she hadn't practiced her fighting techniques, hadn't even kept in shape since Moka's tragic death. The fact that her body was saying otherwise disturbed her.

She then looked down to her jacket, and her red eyes narrowed suspiciously as she saw a noticeable bulge in the front that wasn't there before. She clenched her fists by her sides, and an aggravated hiss escaped through her clenched teeth. She then reached up with her right hand, took hold of the zipper and meticulously pulled it down. Once she reached just below her sternum, her bosom seemed to surge forward, finally free of its confinement. Pfaria gasped openly and her eyes went wide at what just occurred. Instinctively she wrapped her arms over her chest, and nervously looked about the area. After several seconds, she'd sensed no one else in the room, save for her fallen opponent, and sighed deeply in relief. She then pulled the zipper down the rest of the way, and opened her jacket. She looked down in shock at her chest, concealed beneath a black tank top. The fabric of her top was stretched forward, which revealed a vast amount of cleavage. She supported her huge breasts with her forearms and tentatively pushed them up. Though she hardly noticed their weight, they were visibly larger, and she surmised she'd easily gained one cup size since her days at the castle, if not more. "What is this," she asked with a chagrined look, confused about what had caused her growth spurt. She was thankful there wasn't a full-length mirror nearby, for she cringed at what she might've seen in its reflection.

Though appalled by what she'd already seen, the first-born daughter of Issa Shuzen went to pull the jacket off her shoulders, and found it more difficult than she'd anticipated. She growled in frustration, as she knew she'd had no problems removing her raiment before she fought Kahlua at the Bleeding Bat. A couple more attempts also proved futile, which truly began to annoy her. She began to consider merely tearing the jacket off her body, and then do the same to her father. Then she remembered how much she valued it, and what it held, and got her destructive impulses under control. After some struggling, she managed to get the article past her shoulders, and slid it down her back. She looked to both sides, and saw her shoulder muscles had grown significantly larger, more than they'd been three days before. She reached over and felt her left shoulder, and grimaced at its firmness. The troubled vampire then went to pull her left arm out of its respective sleeve, which proved more difficult than before. She tugged at the end of her sleeve and slipped her hand inside. After a few moments, she managed to get her upper arm and elbow free, then pulled the sleeve over the rest of her arm. Her red eyes widened in anger, and an incensed hiss escaped her as she saw her usually toned arm had grown thicker and more defined, even more than her mother after a strenuous workout. She clenched her fist in anger, which caused her bicep to flex accordingly. With an enraged growl, she repeated the process with her right sleeve, then clenched her raiment in her right hand.

Pfaria merely stood in place as she held her jacket in her right hand, her shoulders heaving in anger. Never in her life had she felt such overwhelming rage within her. She'd thought she'd won the battle with her own strength alone, only to have discovered it might've not been entirely true. After a few more moments, she tossed her prized raiment to the side, threw her head back and emitted a primal scream of satanic fury, as a titanic ebony aura surrounded her and disintegrated any pieces of rubble with forty feet of her. Once it subsided, she looked about the room in uncontrollable rage. "_**HOW DARE YOU!**_" she screamed in her rage, as she dashed towards the left side of the chamber and drove her fist into a large section of one of the columns, which immediately shattered from the blow. She then lashed out with a merciless backhand, which disintegrated another piece of debris. "Make a patsy out of **me,** will you," she demanded, as she moved forward and drove her foot into a third piece of debris, shattered from the tremendous impact. She then turned to her right and kicked a large boulder, which went sailing across the room and smashed into the opposite wall. She proceeded to demolish over a dozen more broken stones in similar fashion, as the floor became completely covered in debris. Finally, her glowing red eyes took in a broken column segment, almost twice as long as the one she'd hurled during the fight. She stormed over, her entire being nigh bursting with hatred. She wrapped her arms around the huge broken pillar, bent her knees, and summed her full power, as crackles of black energy shot around her body. "I'm never going to forgive you," she growled in demonic rage, as her muscles tensed in exertion. Fueled by her unbridled anger, she managed to slowly lift the massive stone fragment off the floor, incoherent to everything else. With an vicious snarl she slung the broken column over her shoulder, which nearly caused her to lose her balance but she quickly righted herself. She paused for a moment, as her anger seemed to only grow. "I've had it with your games!" The incensed princess then placed both hands under the weight on her shoulder, and bent her knees down low. "You have humiliated me," she snarled through clenched teeth, as she concentrated her superhuman strength, "_**FOR THE LAST TIME!**_" she declared, as she stood up and pushed the pillar overhead in one fluid motion, as her aura grew even larger and more oppressive, as crimson energy intermixed with the blackness that surrounded her. She turned the massive stone fragment, until it was perpendicular with the wall. She then leaned back, and with one mighty shove, hurled the pillar forth. It smashed straight through the wall, and destroyed a huge portion of it, as more pieces of debris fell to the floor, which kicked up even more dust.

The first-born daughter of the Third Dark Lord remained hunched over, her arms still extended after her unbelievable display of herculean strength. Her silver bangs fell into her closed eyes, as her shoulders heaved from the intense exertion. Her gloved hands fell to her sides, and fiercely tightened into fists, which trembled in anger. She emitted a long exhale, and then opened her eyes, which illuminated the darkened room with a fierce crimson glow. "No more," she spoke in a quiet yet deadly whisper. She looked about the area, and quickly found her jacket. She took her prized raiment in hand, and scowled at the scratches and dirt upon it. What annoyed her even more was that it no longer fit, which she found infuriating. She took the ends of both sleeves, and tied them just below her waist, as the majority of the jacket hung over her posterior. After that, she turned and headed for the exit that led upstairs.

* * *

Just outside the rear entrance of the huge room, the girls stood out of sight, shocked and confused by what they'd just seen. As Ruby, Yukari, and Michiru looked on with frightened expressions, Kurumu remained unconscious, sat up by the wall near them. The sound of the eldest sister's footsteps grew steadily fainter as she disappeared into the darkness.

"What in the world was that," the older witch asked, disbelief written all over her face.

"This is bad," the former PSC agent spoke up with a blank look, "the black power of Dracula has grown stronger." She gave her head of shoulder-length black hair a frightened shake. "I can't believe she didn't notice it until now."

The child prodigy tightly clung to her fellow witch's side, almost overwhelmed with mortal terror. "Wh-where is Pfaria-san going, desu?"

Ruby sighed gravely, aghast at the turn of events. "After Shuzen," she replied with a crestfallen expression. "Now that Moka-san has fallen, there's no one left who can stop her."

"No!" Yukari wailed desperately as she looked up at the older woman, her clenched fists before her. "Moka-san can't be gone! She can't be, desu!"

"What are you saying," Michiru demanded of the brunette, sheer disbelief in her green eyes. "Didn't you see what happened back there? There's no way Moka-san could've survived that! And even if she did, Pfaria-san is even stronger after that battle, it would be suicide to challenge her now."

The young witch shivered in place, aghast at the incognito shadow creature's suggestion. "So you're saying we should just give up," she asked with a pained look, aghast by the very sound of it. "After everything we've been through together? No!" she exclaimed assertively. "I can't do that! Moka-san and Tsukune-san would never give up, I'm not going to either, desu!"

"Yukari-san," the former PSC agent began, but stopped as she saw the girl she addressed turn and head back into the ruined chamber. "Get back here! This castle is no longer safe for us!" As she looked incredulously at the entrance, her shock grew as she saw the other witch headed in the same direction. "Toujyou-san, not you too!" she called out. "Stop, you'll just get yourself killed!"

The eldest of the group stopped just before she disappeared into the darkness. "I know this must seem like madness," she began somberly, "but we have endured so much with Moka-san and Tsukune-san. Without them, neither of us might even be alive now. That's why she's searching for her friend, and wants to find Tsukune-san, regardless of the danger." She turned back towards the ersatz nurse. "And if we don't stop Dracula, who's going to?"

Michiru looked away in response, taken back by the question. She privately admitted she hadn't considered that line of reasoning. "Can we really stop him," she asked, fear evident in her voice. "If he can grant _that_ kind of power," she continued, as she pointed into the room, "what chance do _we_ have?"

"That's why we need to stick together. Doing otherwise, led to the downfall of the academy. That must never happen again," she concluded with a fierce look, as she tightened the grip on her wand.

The undercover agent gasped in response, and looked away in shame. Deep down, she knew Ruby was correct, as she'd personally witnessed the aftermath of the riot between the student body and the PSC, which according to the group, was all part of Dracula's plan. She emitted a long exhale, and covered her face with her slender hands. "You're right, I'm sorry, Toujyou-san, I was so afraid of the enemy's power-" She sighed bitterly, ashamed that she'd nearly forgotten her vow to honor Kuyou's dying wish.

"It's alright, Michiru-san," the older witch began in a reassuring voice as she approached her, "you're not alone in this. Trust us, we can help you. We need all the help we can get right now." She stopped in front of her companion, and held out her right hand.

The incognito shadow creature looked to the offered hand, as tears began to well up in her eyes. "Toujyou-san, thank you," she replied happily, as she took her friend's hand. Once she did, she felt herself pulled into the witch's embrace, which she gladly accepted. She was sad that such camaraderie didn't exist within the PSC, and privately hoped to have changed that once they returned.

After a few moments, Ruby released her comrade and stepped back. "Hmm, now that I think of it," she spoke up as she looked back down the hallway, "where's Mizore-san?"

"I'm not sure, I know she came this way."

"Smart move," the older witch noted, "had she taken the other exit, she would've risked running to Pfaria again." She looked down the corridor where the yuki onna had probably headed, then back to the cyan-haired girl by the doorway. "Help me get Kurumu-san inside, then let's look for her."

"Certainly," Michiru replied curtly.

* * *

The Wong fleet of cars continued up the winding mountain path, headed towards the summit upon which sat Castle Shuzen, their intended destination. In the rear of the fleet was a large van that contained several rolls of gauze, eight cases of blood transfusion packs, and even some surgical implements, all securely fastened to the floor. After all their grueling battles against the Mius, such measures were deemed necessary. And since the clan patriarch had ordered all available supplies brought for the mission, they knew the peril was equally, if not more severe. If they found there was no danger, they'd have a lot of quick explaining to do. Though Touhou had proclaimed it was best to be prepared for an emergency that never happened, than unprepared for one that did.

Beneath the floor was a large secret compartment where the Wongs could've concealed anything, from literature to weapons to even other members. Within the large space, Fong Fong strove to have remained still. The ride had become quite bumpy, which told him there were currently traveling on a dirt road of sorts. Around that time, he felt a vibration from his pants. He cautiously reached in, pulled out his cellphone, opened the line and brought the device to his ear.

"Hello, dear brother," came the sweet yet disturbing voice of his sister from the other end, coupled with muffled sounds in the background, most likely from the moving vehicle she was hidden within. "Are you alright in there? Are you getting enough air?"

"Ling Ling," he replied in a low voice, "what were you thinking? You know Grandfather will be furious once he finds we're here."

"Oh come now, this is an important mission, is it not? I am the Wong family officer, whatever will he do without me?"

The incognito yasha grimaced in response, as he suppressed a groan. "He told us to stay home."

"While he goes and has all the fun," the zombie asked with a feigned sense of hurt, intermixed with amusement, "I don't think that's really fair. Besides, aren't you at least curious about Dracula? As the esteemed family heir," she continued with a light hint of sarcasm in her otherwise reverent voice, "shouldn't you be on the frontline? Don't you want to know what our enemy looks like?"

"That's not fair," the dark-haired youth retorted, still incensed at being blackmailed into the arrangement.

"All's fair in love and war, dear brother. I daresay this qualifies as both, I am so grateful to be around for such a time, it's even better because I'm dead."

Fong Fong groaned in chagrin, mortified by their predicament. "You are hopeless."

"Were you expecting any different," his older sister replied, clearly with a wry smirk judging from her tone, "don't worry, the fun will start soon enough. If I was still alive, I'd be dying with anticipation." A rather macabre chuckle came from the other end. "Take care of yourself, brother, and try not to get killed. I don't think Mother and Father would appreciate you becoming like me. Ta ta," she concluded in a singsong voice.

The incognito yasha hung up the phone, as the conversation with his undead sister did nothing to have soothed his anxiety.

* * *

"_You miserable creature!" an enraged silver-haired lord shouted as he lashed out with a backhanded blow, which knocked a much smaller girl with the same color hair to the floor. "How __**dare**__ you call out to him! How __**DARE**__ you attempt to undermine the order I bring to the world!"_

"_Chichiu-e, stop!" the girl pleaded desperately, as she looked up towards the enraged lord and held out her right hand. "I, I just read the title of-"_

"_**NO EXCUSES!**__" the infuriated daiyoukai declared as he unleashed a crushing blow to the face, which knocked her to the floor again. "Only a rogue would call out that name, an outlaw who desires to revive that foul abhorrence!" He loomed ominously over the fallen child, who trembled in agony and naked fear. "How long have you desired to awaken him, you wretched waif? How much do you plan to make a mockery of me?"_

"_But I didn't-" _

"_**SILENCE!**__" the silver-haired noble screamed, as he released an explosion of his powerful youki, which erupted around the stricken girl, and greatly injured her. "I will never forgive this!" he continued, his rage unabated after the merciless attack. " You were supposed to be my chosen heir, the inheritor of my divine legacy! And now you would throw that all way and embrace... __**HIM**__," he declared, infinite revulsion on his ageless face. He then reached down with both hands and tightly grasped her throat."There is no place in __**my**__ world for him, or anyone who follows him!_"

"_**CHICHIU-E!**__"_

The girl awakened in a terrified scream as she opened her eyes, which was followed by a painful coughing fit. She winced in sheer agony, and her right hand held her ribs, and felt many of them had been broken. Her entire form was wracked within intense pain, similar to the event during her birthday party. Anguished tears ran from her eyes, as her severely injured body trembled after the merciless beating she'd endured.

She looked about her, and found herself sitting on the floor in a humungous chamber, all but completely enshrouded in darkness. Yet even with that, her vampiric eyes saw the room had been obliterated, with debris scattered all over the floor, save a wide circular area in the middle of the room. She blinked a few times, and discovered she could've only seen through her right eye. She tried to hold her injured eye, but found her left arm had become immobile, most likely to the searing pain she felt in her shoulder. She winced in pain as she held it with her opposite hand. By her touch she surmised it might've been separated, or dislocated. She leaned against the wall beside her, grateful it was there to have supported her, or she would've collapsed onto the floor.

"_Ura-chan,_" a soft female voice spoke within her mind, "_are you alright?_"

The wounded princess gasped in shock, then coughed again. She winced in pain and held her clearly injured ribs. "Who's there," she asked in a weak voice, as she warily looked about the area.

"_It's me, Ura-chan,_" the same voice soothingly replied, "_your other half._"

The stricken girl's pained expression briefly gave way to a confused look. As she pondered the issue, she sensed another presence within her mind, and quickly realized it had been the one who'd spoken to her. "Other half," she asked tentatively, "Ura-chan?"

"_You don't remember,_" the entity asked worriedly.

A strong sense of concern filled the fallen princess' heart, though the reason for the feeling of anxiety eluded her. "You're, not going to hurt me," she finally asked, fearful of the unfamiliar presence, "are you?"

"_No, Moka-chan, I'd only be hurting myself._"

The injured girl was confused by the response, not to mention that the entity seemed to know her name. But before she could've inquired about it, a shimmer of soft pink energy appeared before her. Within the aura of supernatural energy appeared the image of a young woman, leaned over with her knees bent low, and all her weight supported on her toes. She looked to be around seventeen, with long pink hair that ran all the way down her back. Her elbows were rested upon her knees, and she wore a deeply concerned look on her heart-shaped features. Though she appeared human, the third-born daughter of Issa Shuzen felt a very strong demonic aura within her, which rivaled that of her older sister. That fact made her even more wary of the newcomer.

"_Moka-chan,_" the apparition began in soft, yet urgent voice, "_tell me. What's the last thing you remember?_"

A pained whimper escaped from her throat, and tears came to her eyes. "I didn't mean to-" she began in a broken voice, still tormented from the memory of her birthday. "I didn't know, not to speak his name. I'm so terrible," she concluded in a self-loathing voice, and covered her face with her hand.

"_Moka-chan, that's not true,_" the woman replied assertively, though her words had virtually no effect on the despondent princess.

The wounded girl suddenly gasped, shocked by the unfamiliar feel of her hand. She brought it back, and nearly cried out in horror as she saw it was much larger than she remembered, with abnormally long fingers. She turned it over, and saw her fingernails were lengthened into deadly claws. She looked up her arm, and her good eye went wide at how long it had become, not to mention the unfamiliar raiment she wore. She finally looked down, and saw a pair of large bulges where her chest should've been. She all but screamed at that juncture, terrified at her radically different body.

"Moka-san," a girl's voice asked from somewhere in the room. "Ruby-san, it came from over there!"

A few moments later, a softy pink magical glow illuminated her side of the chamber. The stricken vampire looked on, and saw a short-haired girl dressed in a witch's costume. Near her was a much taller woman, clad in a bathrobe and a long black skirt. She had dark shoulder-length hair, done up in two ponytails on the sides of her head. The gnarled scepter in her hand provided the light that fell upon her. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed with a horrified look, as she covered her mouth with her free hand.

Less than two seconds later, another woman, clad entirely in black, came up beside her. She currently supported a shorter girl, clad in a sleeveless yellow sweater and very short skirt. The way her companion's head listlessly tilted to the side indicated she was unconscious. "This can't be," she silently exclaimed with a thunderstruck expression. "How could she have survived that?"

"Moka-san!" the younger girl cried out, and carefully stepped over the debris-littered floor towards her. She stopped near the fallen princess, a mortified expression on her young face. "Moka-san, are you alright?"

"Wh-who are you," the frightened daiyoukai asked as she looked between the pair. "How did you get in here?"

The small brunette looked back to her associate, then to the wounded princess. "You don't remember," she asked with a hurt, confused look. "It's me, Yukari-chan. We go to the academy together, remember?"

"Academy," the stricken princess asked, an uncertain tone in her voice.

"_It's alright, Moka-chan,_" the apparition interjected with a soft smile, "_they won't hurt you. They can help you, if you let them._"

The fallen girl whimpered to herself, closed her good eye and shook her head. She then turned her pained gaze to the young witch. "You shouldn't be here," she began with a light sniffle, "Chichiu-e, will kill you if he finds you here."

"But we can't leave you!" the strange girl insisted. "You've done so much for us, for me. I can't just leave you like this, we've been through too much together for it to end here, desu. And I'm definitely not gonna let that mean old man take you away from us!" she continued with a vexed look. "He has no right locking you up like you're some kind of animal, desu!"

"Wh-wh-what," the barely alive princess asked, taken aback by her words. Though she remembered the horrific beating she endured, she didn't recall being confined afterwards.

"_**GET AWAY FROM HER!**_" an enraged voice declared, as it echoed throughout the entire chamber.

Moka cried out in a small voice, while the pink-haired spirit became infuriated. She stood up straight and hissed venomously, her fangs bared in demonic rage.

Without warning, a bolt of lightning crashed down in front of the young witch, which sent her flying back. She crashed into the scepter-wielding woman behind her, and both were knocked back onto the floor. The older woman cried out in pain, most likely from landing on the debris strewn upon the floor. The smaller girl quickly recovered, and looked back to her fallen comrade. "Ruby-san, Ruby-san are you alright," she asked worriedly.

The fallen princess trembled visibly, as she felt the unmistakable aura of her sire, who radiated with a titanic murderous intent. She looked up from her vantage point, and saw the Third Dark Lord, who stood between her and the others. Though his back was to her, Moka saw that he was hunched over, and he seemed to favor his left shoulder. The young vampire gaped in shock, thunderstruck that her presumably invincible father was actually injured. She sensed his usually indomitable aura fluctuating, which told her that his injuries were indeed severe. "Chichiu-e," she began timidly, "wh-wh-what happened?"

The castle lord glared at her from over his left shoulder, as a low hiss escaped him. The wounded girl leaned back in fear from his response, but the pink-haired apparition showed none. Instead, she stood up straight, and missed menacingly at the clearly injured castellan, baring her incorporeal fangs in anger. That made Moka even more afraid, as it was the first threatening move the spirit had made. Never did she imagine it would've been against her father.

Shuzen narrowed his eyes into deadly slits and growled lowly, annoyed by the unknown entity's defiance. He then turned his attention back to the other girls before him. "You incorrigible maggots," he growled, his voice heavy with pain and hate as he did his best to have remained upright. "You dare assail my daughter, with your meaningless banter? And this after you bound that, disgusting abomination onto her!" he declared indignantly, as he pointed back to the girl behind him, who squeaked timidly in response. "You've brought nothing, but shame and disgrace to my house, to **me! **I won't let you, dishonor me, or Moka any further!"

"_Enough with this charade!_" the pink-haired spirit spoke defiantly, which quickly got the ancient lord's attention. "_You ramble endlessly about honor, where was it when you beat your daughter to within an inch of her life?_" She boldly stepped forward, as a foreboding aura surrounded her insubstantial form. "_Where was it when you allowed those horrible old men to use her in order to ruin Haha-ue?_"

"_**ENOUGH!**_" Shuzen screamed, as he spun around and lashed his arm out to the side. Once he did, a huge burst of youki erupted around the spirit, which sent debris flying everywhere. "That is the Elder Council you're speaking of, wench! Still your impudent tongue or I'll erase you right now!"

Moka cringed in fear at the display of power, which she personally experienced during her seventh birthday. Suddenly, she cried out in pain, as she felt a burning sensation on her left leg. She timidly looked down, and saw a strange leather whip coiled around her inordinately long thigh, which clearly wasn't there before. She inhaled fearfully at what she'd just beheld. "Wh-wh-what is this," she asked, frightened by the weapon bound to her.

"You don't need to know," the patriarch replied in a calmer voice, those his aura continued to rage within him. "Now come," he spoke sternly as he extended his right hand, "we are leaving."

The fallen princess looked at him in fear and disbelief, shocked and confused by what she'd just heard.

"Are you insane," the dark-haired woman who supported the unconscious girl protested with an incredulous look. "Your daughter is in no condition to go anywhere."

"This is not your concern!" Shuzen snapped fiercely as he spun around and pointed towards the woman who just addressed him. "My daughter is a vampire, she is invincible!" he declared boldly. "All the powers of Heaven and Hell combined a thousand times over could not ever hope to defeat her, defeat _**ME!**_ And soon, you pitiful opposers shall realize that basic truth through your decrepit bodies!"

"I don't believe what I'm hearing!" his accuser shot back, a blank look on her face. "We were always taught the Three Dark Lords provided guidance and stability for all the youkai realms. Is _this_ how you handle a crisis in your realm? I find it hard to believe you occupy the same elite order as Mikogami-sama."

"You are no question me!" the enraged castellan retorted, infuriated by her protests. "I am the strongest, the wisest, and the bravest of all the Dark Lords! Without me the world would've been destroyed a thousand times over! You wretches should be grateful that I care about this world so much as to oversee it so vigilantly! But since you've brought such shame and dishonor to my hallowed hall you have forfeited your right to exist!"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the pink-haired apparition vociferously interjected, as the smoke that concealed her form dissipated. Once she became visible again, Moka saw a blazing crimson aura surrounding her insubstantial form, coupled with crackles of dark energy. "_I've heard enough of your endless self-righteous blather! After all the trouble you've caused, you really think I'm gonna just let you _**run away,**" she asked, a deep contemptuous scowl on her usually soft features.

"It is not running away!" Shuzen countered, unfazed by her accusations. "It is the ultimate demonstration of my sovereign power, the power that protects the world!"

"_What sort of nonsense is this,_" the spirit demanded, her tone long past the point of incredulous.

"It's... it's not nonsense," Moka finally spoke up, shivering from the oppressive aura of the enraged spirit.

The insubstantial girl looked back over her shoulder with a questioning growl, her glowing red eyes narrowed into deadly slits.

The wounded princess bowed her head, as she finally managed to rise to a kneeling position. "Whenever... Chichiu-e leaves a castle," she continued in a weak voice, "it collapses. It's a sign... of his unequaled power."

"No way!" the youngest of the strangers declared, thunderstruck by what she'd just heard.

"You can't do this," the dark-haired woman who supported the unconscious youkai added. "That's, that's madness!"

The apparition's eyes widened in sheer disbelief, and blazed with a demonic fury. She growled in seething anger, as she bared her deadly fangs. She quickly turned back to the patriarch, whose pained look was still unrepentant. "_You're going to drop the castle on your own daughter? You __**COWARD!**_" she declared indignantly, as her aura changed to a glossy black, framed by dark crimson energy.

Moka gasped in shock, frightened by the spirit's immense murderous intent, which she knew was aimed at her father. Even though her back was to her, the princess could've seen the entity's spectral form began to change. Her shoulders became significantly wider, and her limbs grew thicker and sturdier. The injured girl looked on in horror, and became even more scared when she felt the same energy within her, which suggested that she might've been connected to the malevolent entity before her. After a few moments, she realized the unknown energy was centered around her chest. She warily looked down, and saw a blackened Rosario upon her bosom, which glowed with the same aura as the entity before her. "What's going on," she asked in a timid voice, confused by the events that rapidly unfolded before her. She looked to her father, whose crimson eyes went wide at the insubstantial being before him. "Chichi-e," she asked nervously, as her trembling fingers held onto the edge of the cross on her chest, "what is this?"

The Third Dark Lord made no response, as his incredulous gaze was firmly set on the spectral form. Moka grimaced in fear, hurt that her father apparently hadn't heard her.

The pink-haired spirit looked back over her shoulder, her eyes glowing with rage. "_Let me at him,_" she growled menacingly within the princess' mind, which frightened her even more.

"N-no!" the third-born daughter timidly replied. "You can't hurt Chichiu-e, I... I love him!"

The apparition immediately spun around towards her, a look of sheer disbelief on her face. "_Do you realize what you're saying, Ura-chan,_" she asked incredulously, as her aura fluctuated. "_He nearly killed you nine years ago and you're _defending _him?_"

The wounded princess shivered as the ghostly figure's burning gaze feel upon her. Moreover, she could've clearly seen her physique had visibly grown stronger, which made her feel even more insignificant. "But, I-" she finally began in a weak, stammering voice, "I deserved it, I... I spoke his name!" she blurted out, as tears of shame ran down her bruised and swollen cheeks.

"_Yes,_" the spirit replied pointedly, "_that's _exactly _what they wanted you to do._"

Moka emitted a startled gasp, taken aback by the accusation. "Wh-what?"

"Enough!" her father's voice snapped fiercely. "I won't have you exploiting my daughter like this!" The enraged patriarch concentrated his gargantuan youki, as a pained expression was etched into his ageless face. He then rushed forth, and channeled his energy into his right index and middle finger. "_**DISAPPEAR!**_" he shouted, as he jabbed his two fingers right into the blackened core of Moka's Rosario, and unleashed his demonic energy. The third-born daughter screamed in pain, both from the youki being released into her Rosario as well as the whip on her leg, which began to burn once more.

She looked ahead, and saw the pink-haired spirit also screamed in pain. She felt her sire's energy bearing down on her, as if trying to extinguish her still-unexplained existence. "_Stop it, you idiot!_" the apparition protested mentally, as she reached out and grabbed the patriarch's wrist with her insubstantial hand. "_You'll destroy us both!_" Her ebony and crimson aura flared up, as she surprisingly tried to resist the Dark Lord's power.

"Nonsense!" the castellan countered. "My daughter will survive, but you will not! Begone from my presence, you pitiful impostor!"

"Chichiu-e, stop!" Moka pleaded desperately, as her agony seemed to have doubled from the release of her father's youki. "You're... you're hurting me!"

"No, I am saving you! I am the only one who can, the only one who loves you!"

Suddenly, several black tendrils shot out from the darkness behind him and ensnared his legs, his right arm and his waist. The wounded girl looked behind him, and saw the fetters came from one of the three strangers, who had six black wings on her back and a stern expression on her face. "Stop it, Shuzen!" she spoke sharply, which surprised the young princess. "Don't you realize the Rosario is damaged? If you keep tampering with it, you might destroy your own daughter!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" the second dark-haired woman added, as her arms grew and extended into large shadowy claws, which latched onto the castellan's shoulders. "What would Mikogami-sama think if he saw you acting like this?"

"Leave her alone, you big dummy!" the young witch protested, as she repeatedly jabbed her broken wand into the patriarch's wounded legs.

Moka looked on in disbelief, shocked that the strangers would've actually risked incurring her sire's wrath, especially for someone they didn't even know. "Why are they doing this," she asked with a hurt look. "Don't they realize it's useless?" She sniffled to herself, as she tightly shut her eyes. "They shouldn't throw their lives away for my sake, fools."

The elder vampire growled in intense aggravation, clearly displeased by the unexpected resistance. "Infernal creatures," he began in a rasping voice, "who do you think you're trifling with! I am Issa Shuzen, the oldest, strongest, wisest, and bravest of all the Dark Lords! My power keeps the world safe from harm! _**NO ONE**_ can conquer me!" he declared, and unleashed a huge blast of his youki, which erupted all around him. The winged woman's fetters were all but instantly vaporized, and she was knocked back across the room. The young girl was sent flying and landed just near Moka. The last of the trio was knocked into the far wall, and quickly succumbed to unconsciousness again.

The badly injured princess trembled where she stood, terrified by the release of her father's power. And yet, she wasn't overly surprised, as she knew they had no chance of ever defeating him, the most powerful youkai in existence. She grasped onto her Rosario, which shivered in her grasp, almost like it was in pain. She looked to the floor, and saw the pink-haired apparition on her hands and knees, her long tresses covering her bowed head, as her form began to fade. Without knowing why, Moka headed towards her, and knelt down before the fallen spirit. "Are you alright," she asked worriedly.

The ghostly figure finally raised her head, and looked up to the third-born daughter of the Shuzen family. "_Ura-chan,_" she spoke in a weak voice, as she reached out towards the young vampire, "_please, don't forget... your promise._" The spectral hand reached and touched her face, right before it disappeared.

Moka looked down to where the spirit faded, as she felt like a piece of herself had been torn away. She fell to her knees again, as the pain she sensed from her was similar to the shaking of the cross on her chest. "Chichiu-e," she asked in a pained voice, "what did you do?" She looked ahead, and saw her father on the damaged floor, as his multiple wounds actually glowed in the darkness. "_**CHICHIU-E!**_" she cried out, and then began coughing as the pain in her ribs flared up again. Despite that, she pushed her wounded body towards the fallen lord. "Chichiu-e, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," the castellan growled through his pain as he struggled to rise. "Now come, we need to leave before-"

He got no further as the sound of heavy footsteps came from the other end of the ruined chamber. His daughter looked in its direction, and inhaled slowly as she felt an immeasurable demonic aura headed towards her, which felt somewhat familiar. The pain in her heart only grew as it drew near, which made instinctively clutch her chest, as her anguish seemed to have no end. All she wanted was the life she once had, before the day she spoke Dracula's name and brought ruin to everyone.

A few moments later, Moka finally made out a figure approaching them, who emitted the same aura she felt before. Even though she still couldn't have seen through her left eye, she managed to make out the form of a very imposing woman, clad in black pants and a matching sleeveless shirt, which exposed her thick, powerful arms, and looked uncomfortably tight against her greatly expanded ribcage and huge bosom. Shoulder-length silver hair framed her pale face, which was marred by her contemptuous scowl along with dried blood that ran from her lower lip to her chin.

Moka couldn't help but tremble as the newcomer approached them. Though her features were undeniably vampiric, her overly developed musculature seemed out of place for one of her kind. The princess knew well that since vampires relied on their aura for power, large bulky muscles were deemed unnecessary. And any form of defiance, whether intentional or otherwise, was swiftly and brutally curtailed to protect the absolute order that ruled over the vampire race.

Finally, the frightening woman stopped before Shuzen's prone form, and her bloodied lips stretched into a haughty smirk. "Well well, so this is how it ends," she remarked in a bemused voice. "Heh, this couldn't have gone better if I'd planned it. I guess I should thank you for clearing those losers out, now it's just you, and me," she finished with a deceptively pleasant grin.

The scared daiyoukai's eyes went wide. Even though the woman's figure and aura seemed unfamiliar, she recognized her voice only too well. "Aneue," she asked in a timid voice. "What... what has happened to you?"

The newcomer seemed to ignore her, as she reached down, grabbed the fallen lord by the back of his coat and roughly pulled him to his feet. "Any last words," she asked expectantly.

"You insolent creature," Shuzen retorted in a hoarse voice, "how dare you betray me, after all I've done for you. Rest assured, you will... never be forgiven... for this impudence!"

The imposing vampire laughed derisively in response. "This from the person who destroyed everyone I loved and tried to lock me away in the tower." She grabbed the front of his damaged suit and brought him close to her face. "You're no one to talk about betrayal," she spoke in a low menacing voice.

"You ungrateful wench," the patriarch growled hatefully, "I was protecting your life! The true punishment for interfering with the Council," he continued, as another spasm of pain shot through his wretched body, "is death! Had you remained sealed away... you would've been in no danger. Be thankful... I was so merciful with you!"

The wounded girl gasped aloud, horrified by what she'd just heard. But before she could've questioned her father, the madwoman before her drove her knee hard into the Third Dark Lord's solar plexus, which made him double over in obvious pain. "Chichiu-e," she uttered in horror, aghast at his wretched state, especially since she'd always believed he was invincible.

A weak groan came from nearby. She looked over, and saw the little girl had begun to regain her bearings, as she sat up from her spot on the floor. Though pain was etched all over her young face, her managed to open her violet eyes, which looked warmly at the confused vampire. "Moka-san," she spoke with a weak smile.

"As if you sicken me any more," the hostile woman's voice remarked contemptuously, which got Moka's attention. She looked back, and saw the black-clad woman had her father pinned against the wall with her left hand. "Were you merciful with Heinrich, _**NO!**_" she declared, as she rove her right fist hard into his stomach. The sheer force of the attack went though his body and cracked the wall behind him. "Were you merciful with my mother, _**NO!**_" she shouted, and unleashed another crushing blow to the midsection, which all but imploded the wall behind him. "_Were you merciful me with me,_" she asked, her voice rising in anger, "_**NO!**_" She then nailed him once more in the gut, and the sound of cracking ribs was heard. "_**WERE YOU MERCIFUL WITH MOKA,**_" she screamed at the top of her lungs, "_**NO!**_" she practically shrieked, and punched him again in the stomach with the force of a pile driver. The patriarch coughed up a mouthful of blood, thunderstruck by the strength of the attack.

The wounded girl quickly pushed herself to her feet, despite the pain of her wretched body. "Stop it, Aneue!" she desperately cried out, appalled at what had occurred before her, "please, stop! You can't do this, he's- he's our father! We can't survive without him!" Anguished tears ran down her bruised, swollen cheeks, as she found herself on the verge of bawling, even though she was instructed against such sentiments.

"Moka," Shuzen called out in a weak voice, a mortified look on his ageless features.

"You are so pathetic," Pfaria remarked with a brooding scowl. "It wasn't enough to kill her, you have to continuously desecrate her memory with this- mockery you've created!" Her grip tightened on the gravely wounded castellan's neck, as she slid him to a more stable part of the wall. "Well I'm not letting you mock her anymore! You've never shown any mercy," the enraged princess continued, as an eerie lavender aura surrounded her powerful form, coupled with crackles of ebony and crimson energy. The crackling grew even more intense around her right fist, which she clenched tightly and pulled back. "_**YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY!**_"

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" Moka screamed in sheer terror, all but driven insane by fear and grief. With a sudden burst of demonic energy, she rushed forward and shielded her father with her body, which stopped Pfaria from unleashing her final attack. "Why are you doing this, Aneue," she inquired as her tears continued to stream down her face, "why are you hurting Chichiu-e?"

"Oh, give me a break," the taller woman began with a disgusted look. "What are you, bipolar or something?" She lowered her fist, and glared at the terrified girl before her. "You know, I'm really starting to get sick of your face. Beat it, kid, before I rearrange it further."

The wounded vampire gasped, as her trembling hand touched her swollen left eye. "Y-you did this," she asked fearfully, aghast at the thought that her elder sibling might've been the one who'd beaten her so mercilessly. "Aneue, why?"

"What, did you forget already," Pfaria asked with a sarcastic sneer. "What happened to your little vow to kill anyone who _dared_ threaten the old man? Ah, forget it," she continued dismissively before Moka could've responded, "I'm tired of repeating myself. You stupid vampires never listen anyway."

"Aneue!" the stricken princess quipped, hurt even more by her sister's remarks.

"Get lost." The silver-haired woman grabbed her right shoulder and callously pushed her aside, which sent her to the ruined floor again.

Moka began crying again where she laid, all but completely broken by what just occurred. "Why," she asked in a broken voice, "why did Aneue reject me? Doesn't she recognize me?" Pained screams came from behind her, yet they seemed irrelevant to the fallen princess, as her emotional anguish seemed limitless. "How long has it been? What could've happened to her? Doesn't she remember anything?" More tears ran from her eyes, even more than the fiasco on her seventh birthday, when she'd reached her lowest ebb. "Haha-ue," she spoke in a nigh listless voice, as her mind went back to the last time the three of them were truly together.

* * *

"_How badly has he brainwashed you, Moka," Pfaria asked with a horrified look, badly wounded after her crushing defeat at her mother's hands. "Is _that _what you want to become when you grow up?"_

"_Silence!" the younger princess snapped. "Do not dishonor Chichiu-e, or I'll beat you up myself!"_

"_Is that a promise, Moka-chan," the elder vampire asked from behind."Will you look after your oldest sister?"_

_The youkai child turned to her mother, and saw she'd drawn close to her, an expectant look on her ageless face. Deep down, the younger daughter knew she'd essentially been put on the spot. She looked back at her sister, and then to the tall woman before her. "Yes, Haha-ue," she finally replied. "I'll take care of her, so you won't have to. We all know she can't beat you, so I'll do it myself," she concluded proudly, as she stuck out her chest for emphasis._

_Akasha giggled to herself, amused and yet touched by her daughter's declaration. "Very well, I'll hold you to that, Moka-chan," she spoke with a warm yet devious smile._

"_You can count on me, Haha-ue!"_

* * *

Moka finally opened her eye, as she lifted her head off the floor. "That's right," she spoke to herself, as she remembered the spirit's words, "I did make a promise." She pushed up her torso with her right arm, and paused to catch her breath. "I wanted to bring Aneue back, if she lost her way. I wanted, to prove myself worthy of Haha-ue." She pushed herself up to her knees, and somberly bowed her head. "I remember now, Haha-ue loves us all. She would never want Chichiu-e to die. She only wanted him, to understand her." A deep sigh escaped her wretched form, as she began to wish she'd listened more to her mother. Another pained cry came from behind her, which broke her out of her train of thought. She looked over her shoulder, and saw her mad sister standing over her fallen sire, her boot firmly upon his throat, as he writhed violently on the floor. She turned away with a appalled hiss, as she held her ribs with her right arm. "I won't let it end like this," she spoke with newfound resolve, "I am going to bring her back," she continued, as she began to rise to her feet, "just as Haha-ue wanted."

"_So you finally remember,_" a female voice spoke within her soul.

The wounded girl inhaled sharply at the strange voice, but then relaxed as she remembered her as the still-unknown apparition from before. "I do," she replied with a soft smile, as she placed her good hand on the Rosario. Once she did, she sensed a very dark energy within her, that seemed to resonate expectantly. "What is this I'm feeling," she asked nervously.

"_It's a power that once tried to destroy the world long ago,_" the spirit's voice replied, "_and now it's trying again. It's the power of Dracula._"

Moka almost screamed in terror as she heard the name she'd spoken years before.

"_Don't be afraid, Ura-chan!_" the pink-haired spirit spoke sternly as she materialized before her. "_We can't ignore him any longer! He's already killed Mikogami, and now he's using Aneue to kill your father. We can't let this happen!_" she declared as she reached out and held the princess' shoulders. "_You're the only one who can save them now. Words cannot reach her, face our sister and fight with your true feelings! Do that, and the power will submit to you, rather than consume you as it has Aneue._"

The daiyoukai inhaled with an awed look as she considered what she'd just heard. Though the advice sounded simple, she was certain it was far more difficult to follow. "Is it... really possible?"

"_I know it's hard, but I also know it can be done. And it must,_" the apparition insisted as her fierce red eyes bored into those of Moka. "_Now cast aside your doubts and worries, stand strong, and call forth your majesty of darkness._"

The third-born daughter shivered at her spirit's last words, as the dark power within her pulsated at them. She quickly deduced it was some sort of incantation, and slowly closed her eyes. She took hold of her Rosario, and calmed her troubled heart. "I will."

"_[Thou canst not!]_" a hostile female voice spoke in an ancient tongue, one Moka had only heard from her mother. Suddenly, a painful burning sensation came from her left leg. She looked down, and saw the whip bound to her thigh was glowing fiercely. "_[I forbid thee to unleash this cursed power, thou shalt not protecteth that abhorrent fiend who possesseth the blood of mine kin upon his sinful hands!]_"

"_[You stay out of this!]_" the pink-haired specter snapped in modern English, as she sent a brooding glare towards the whip. "_Ura-chan,_" she continued in Japanese, "_I'll hold her back. Do what you must, for everyone's sake._"

The third-born daughter took in her words. Though she had so many questions, she also knew she hadn't the time for a full inquiry, not with her family in danger yet again. She simply nodded, and watched as the spirit faded away.

* * *

Pfaria rubbed her father's battered face across the rough stone floor, almost giddy with delight at his seemingly decrepit state. Though she would've earlier preferred to have simply put a bullet in her unscrupulous sire's head, the feeling of slowly crushing him with her bare hands was beyond euphoric, as the power she experienced seemed to grow with each moment of Shuzen's agony. "What's wrong, old man," she asked mockingly. "Don't like having your face ground into the dirt? Ha! After all the people _you've_ trampled underfoot it's about time you got a taste of your own medicine. Oh how the mighty have fallen." She paused for a moment, and unleashed a gale of maniacal laughter, all but completely lost in her demonic ecstasy.

Suddenly, an ominous aura began to manifest within the chamber, which quickly got the merciless vampire's attention. She looked up, and watched as the very darkness itself began to move briskly, like rushing clouds in the sky. "What the hell," she asked, confusion and a tad of apprehension in her voice. She looked across the room, and saw her opponent from earlier was on her feet again, a determined look on her battered face, and glowing with an eerie ebony and crimson aura. Pfaria looked on, and saw the darkness was being siphoned into her body, which increased her youki at an alarming rate. The powerful woman backed up a step, and covered her face with her right arm, as a growing sense of fear appeared within her heart. "What do you think you're doing!" she demanded. "Even if this crazy stunt works, you're in no shape to fight anyone now. Give it up, kid, you can't win!"

"It's not too late," the white-haired charlatan retorted, as her shoulders heaved in obvious exertion. "As long as I have breath in my body, I will fight you." Her menacing aura expanded around her, and disintegrated any pieces of debris in her vicinity. "And I will _**SAVE YOU, ANEUE!**_"

"I don't need to be saved!" Pfaria shot back, despite the fear she was desperately trying to suppress. "More than I can say for the old man! He's finished, and so you are if you're stupid enough to fight me again!"

"I made a promise to Hahau-e. And one way or another," she went on, as she wrapped her right arm around herself, "I will fulfill it!"

"Moka, stop!" a weak male voice called from nearby. Pfaria looked down, and saw her badly wounded father rolled onto her side, and turned in the impostor's direction. "Moka," he continued, as he stretched his right hand longingly towards her, "you must not... use that power! You'll become his slave... and the Council will discover you're alive! Stop this, I... command you!"

"No, Chichiu-e," the white-haired replica of Pfaria's dead sister replied, a twinge of sadness in her determined voice, "I will not stop. Not until I save you! Chichiu-e," she went on, as a single tear ran down her face, "don't think badly of me." She gave him a pained smile, then tensed her entire body, as the raging energy within her writhed in anticipation. "_**MAJESTY OF DARKNESS!**_" A titanic release of unholy energy erupted from her wounded body, as she threw her head back and screamed in agony.

"_**MOOOOOKAAAAAAAAAAA!**_" Shuzen screamed at the top of his lungs.

Pfaria shielded her face with her arm, and felt herself being incrementally pushed back by her opponent's aura. The impostor's hair shot up like an ivory geyser, and a crimson laser shot from her one good eye, as crackling black youki shot around her body. She held her left shoulder, which began to bulge under her touch. Her seemingly useless left arm swelled and lengthened within its sleeve, which became uncomfortably tight. Tearing sounds were heard from the strained article, which was slowly rent asunder, revealing a long, powerful, yet immobile limb, with a deadly long-fingered claw at the end. The process repeated with her right arm, and the respective jacket and shirt sleeve became strained and soon gave way, as a longer and well-muscled limb burst forth. She brought her right hand up to her face, and wiggled her elongated digits.

The eldest sister began to shiver, as she recalled a similar transformation within the bedroom. But that time, her stature didn't change along her musculature, and the aura was nowhere near what was currently being released. She looked down, and saw the crackling grew more intense around her opponent's legs. Her right thigh and calf began to swell as her arms did before. However, she noted her left leg didn't change, which threw the impostor off-balance and caused her to collapse onto one knee. She screamed in pain, as she held the whip coiled to her leg, which had white crackles all around it. As she remained on her knee, her right leg completed its growth, which culminated in her foot bursting from its leather confines. Pfaria blinked her crimson irises, as she wondered if the whip was interfering with the transformation. A startled gasp escaped her bloodied lips, as the truth dawned upon her. "That's right," she spoke to herself, "the whip was meant to resist Dracula's power." A horrifying thought came to her, as if several pieces of a puzzle she couldn't complete finally fell into place. "What did to you to her, old man," she asked fearfully, as she then reached down, and pulled him up by the front of his battered suit. "What did you do to me!" she demanded angrily.

The badly wounded patriarch growled in pain, but made no other response.

Disgusted, the eldest sister threw him onto the floor. No sooner than she did that she heard another weak groan. She looked behind her and saw the cyan-haired girl from earlier, glowing with the same aura as she began to rouse. "You're kidding me," she spoke under her breath, "what sort of madness is this?"

The voluptuous teenager rose to her feet, and opened her glowing red eyes, an entranced look on her soft features. She walked towards the transforming woman, yet seemed all but incoherent as she continued forward.

"Kurumu-san!" a mature woman's voice called out. "Where are you going?" Pfaria turned her gaze, and saw the older witch had surprisingly managed to recover, and was headed after the entranced girl. "Kurumu-san, get back! It's dangerous!"

The eldest sister groaned in annoyance, perturbed that they'd regained consciousness. Had it only been the replica of Moka, she could've simply dealt with her and then finished off her father. But the continued presence of the youkai who'd accompanied her to the castle made the silver-haired woman's mission more complicated than she preferred.

She then turned back to her opponent, who screamed in superhuman agony as the crackling around her body continued, which was focused on her left leg. After several painful moments, her thigh and calf began to expand. The process was slower due to the whip, though she noted black crackles around it as well as white, as if some unknown force was trying to prevent its interference. Finally, it became a perfect match of the transformed right leg, even though white crackles still shot sporadically around the whip. The metamorphosizing girl held her ribs, as her torso began to expand under her green raiment. A spasm of pain shot through her body, and she involuntarily moved her arm. One by one the buttons on her blazer popped off, which revealed a her white blouse and pleated checkerboard skirt, both becoming strained in their own right. Pfaria looked on in fear and disbelief, and watched as her hips broadened under the somewhat unbecoming article. She heard her agonized cries, and surmised her posterior had swollen greatly, much to her great discomfort. Soon the growth became plainly obvious, as her expanding body tore apart her weak skirt, which fell in tatters by her feet, and left her in her glossy black underwear. The buttons on her blouse began to fail, which exposed a well-muscled yet badly bruised abdomen, and the eldest sister could've made out all the ribs she'd broken in the last battle. The impostor grimaced in pain as her shoulders broadened, and grew substantially thicker, which resulted in a tearing sound from behind. Pfaria surmised her blazer had ripped right down the middle, which didn't surprise her. Suddenly, the girl's already sizable breasts swelled to massive proportions, pushed out further by her thickening pectoral muscles, and burst free of her blouse, which caused her to scream in chagrin. What horrified her even more was her voice had gained a dual quality, and she instinctively held her throat. She seemed so appalled she didn't notice her night black brassiere had surprisingly accommodated her expanded bosom. She covered herself as best she could and knelt over, shivering in agony and embarrassment as her transformation continued. Finally, she emitted a blood-curdling scream in demonic agony, as a titanic burst of youki erupted from her.

* * *

Akasha leaped through the fog-enshrouded air, propelled by her powerful legs. The path past the forest had become too steep to have traversed by foot, so she chose to jump the rest of the way, which conserved her youki and lowered the chances of her being detected by her estranged ex-husband. Though she nearly ran into the still-unknown fleet of cars along the way, she again managed to avoid detection and proceeded upwards.

After one last leap, she landed gracefully and found herself at the summit. Before her stood an imposing castle, along with two vehicles parked outside, both she recognized from the academy lot. As she pushed her senses within the foreboding palace, she became concerned at what she detected, or rather what she couldn't at that juncture. "Where's Issa," she asked herself, very worried by his apparent absence, "I'm sure this is his castle." She pushed her concerns aside, and continued to scan the castle. A few moments later, she detected the auras of her children. "There they are," she said to herself, as an image of her daughters appeared within her mind. She cringed as she sensed the foul power of Dracula within them. She saw both of them had sustained serious injuries, and sensed the battle was about to enter its final stage. As she pondered the matter, she became disturbed by how similar Dracula's power was to her own, and planned to have a long chat with her family after the battle had ended. "I must hurry," she spoke worriedly, as she headed towards the front gate.

Suddenly, a huge black barrier appeared around the entire castle, which instantly blocked her progress. She stopped in place, and quickly sensed a malevolent aura in the area, coupled with a vast murderous intent. An annoyed hiss escaped through her clenched teeth, as she scanned her vicinity. "Show yourself!" she called about the area, as rumbling thunderclouds hung high overhead.

"Thou shalt not interfere," a hollow, ghostly voice retorted in ancient English, and echoed all around the Shinso. "Thine tainted presence hath no place within the domain of our lord."

A few seconds later, a spectral figure materialized before Akasha, hovering three feet above the ground, and completely concealed in a night black cloak. The only discernible feature the newcomer possessed was a pair of glowing red eyes, which emanated waves of hate and malice towards the taiyoukai.

"So," the white-haired woman began with a stern gaze, "you're one of Tepes's followers, are you? I don't have time for games, move aside!"

"Thou art no one to make demands," the figure shot back, a twinge of heat in his distorted voice. "Thine execrable existence amongst inferior humans hath been deemed blasphemous by our lord, and worthy of nothing but his eternal wrath. In his hallowed name, I shalt verily cast thee into the deepest parts of the infernal Abyss!"

"_He certainly likes to talk,_" the Shinso thought to herself, annoyed by her enemy's tactics. Despite his lengthy speeches, she found herself unable to have identified him by his voice, or his aura, which irritated her even further. "I won't warn you again," she spoke coldly, as she took on a defensive stance, and sent a murderous glare towards her adversary. "Move it, or lose it."

"It is thou who hath lost, thine existence was forfeit the moment thou didst bare thine measly fangs against Lord Dracula!" A hazy black aura surrounded the figure, and he raised his arms aloft, as his long flowing sleeves billowed rapidly. "**Come forth, my minions!**" he called out in a booming voice, which echoed in all directions. "**Crush this interloper!**"

Suddenly, a gargantuan demonic aura began to blanket the entire area outside the barrier. Akasha looked around, and watched as dozens of enemies began to materialize around her. She counted over a score of zombies of various kinds, all with flies buzzing about them and infested with maggots. There were also more than forty skeletons, both regular and armored, and a half dozen that topped twenty feet in height. The enemy group also contained at least two platoons of undead knights, eight of which were were twenty-five feet tall, with fifteen foot long great swords. She also counted over a dozen inhuman sorcerers amongst them, all wielding twisted staves longer than their bodies. Finally, an enormous draconic being with two hind legs, which dwarfed the rest of the enemies, materialized amidst the throng behind Akasha. "_Oh my word,_" she thought to herself, "_he can summon _that _large of an army?_" It wasn't just their numbers that concerned her, many within the horde were substantially powerful even by vampire standards, which meant they had both quality and quantity. She knew the battle would've been grueling, and cost her precious time, which she immediately knew was her enemy's intent.

The numerous enemies soon began to advance, and the faster-moving skeletons took the lead. They had their weapons raised over head, which resembled elongated meat cleavers with spikes along the edges, and emitted an undeniable murderous intent as they neared their opponent. The closest one swung his deadly weapon at Akasha, who caught the blade with her left hand, then sent a straight right cross into the skeleton's ribcage, which exploded upon impact along with its spine. Another came from her left and lunged towards her, but she spun away and nailed him between the shoulder blades with a devastating reverse roundhouse kick, which instantly shattered his weakly connected body. Three more rushed in and tried to attack simultaneously, but she spun elegantly on her toes and unleashed a thundering reverse roundhouse kick, which shattered all three of their ribcages, and the rest of them crumbled into a large pile of bones on the ground. An armored skeleton moved in and swung his mace towards the elder vampire, but she caught the oncoming weapon and hurled him over her shoulder towards the robed figure who'd summoned all the monsters. The undead warrior passed right through him, flew into the barrier and smashed into pieces onto it.

As she turned back to the advancing enemies, she watched as one of the gigantic knights in the distance seemed to faze out of existence, only to reappear within striking range of the Shinso. "_No way!_" she thought to herself after a startled gasp. "_They can teleport?_" She decided against pondering the issue further, and quickly jumped back. No sooner than she did that the knight lunged forward with a massive overhead slash, which rent the ground where she once stood. Once she landed, she found herself confronted by three giant skeletons, each with an oversized axe in their bony grasp. She took straight to the air, just as all three unleashed a simultaneous overhead slash, which thankfully hit nothing but air. As she soared upwards, a loud screech was heard and her trajectory was unexpectedly halted as her shoulders were seized by two large taloned feet, which applied crushing pressure as she hung in midair. She looked up, and found herself ensnared by a feathered harpy, who continued digging its talons into her shoulders. Though Akasha seemed helpless off her feet, she found herself nonplussed by the harpy's grip. "Oh come now," she began with a mocking smile, "is that really the best you can do?"

A monstrous roar was heard from below. The elder vampire looked down, and found herself above the dragon's upturned head. Akasha grimaced somewhat, as she surmised her temporary captor planned to either hold her in place while the dragon unleashed a blast of fire towards her, or simply dropped her down its throat. Neither scenario appealed to her, so she reached up and tightly grasped the harpy's legs. The birdlike creature screeched in obvious pain as it felt its legs being crushed, and its own grip began to slacken. Down below, the mammoth reptilian beast saw its comrade's plight, and began to inhale deeply. The white-haired woman took that as her cue, and once the harpy completely lost its grip, she kicked her legs out, swung them back and then propelled herself forward as she released her hold. A split second later, a huge beam of searing fire shot forth and incinerated the avian creature in midair.

Akasha twisted her body while airborne and turned her tumble into a forward somersault, as she sailed completely over the dragon. She saw another gigantic knight where she would've eventually landed, so she pulled out of the somersault and drove both of her feet straight down. She drilled right into the top of the armored giant's helmet, which drove him waist deep into the ground. She then leaped off and landed gracefully on her feet, fifteen feet from her flustered adversary. Unfortunately, she found herself within striking range of a gigantic skeleton, who raised its battleaxe aloft. Suddenly, a pair of lights pierced through the fog and gloom that surrounded the outside of the castle. A few seconds later, a stretch limo surged out of the fog and rammed right into the skeleton's legs, and knocked him twenty feet forward, and he tumbled several feet more, bowling over several enemies in the process.

The Shinso looked past it, and saw several other vehicles behind the limo, which included a hearse and a large van in the rear. A slew of men and women in black suits poured out of the vehicles, and a diminutive figure in a white robe leaped out of the recently opened sunroof in the lead car, his long white hair flowing behind him. He tumbled repeatedly through the sullen air, and landed right in front of his vehicle. "Whoa," he remarked with an awed expression as he gazed upon the enemy horde before him, "looks like they prepared quite a reception! Guess we arrived just in time."

The former Shuzen matriarch gasped as she quickly recognized the newcomer. "Fuhai," she asked, her crimson irises wide in surprise.

"Yes, it's been a long time, Akasha. You're looking well tonight, have you been working out?"

The elder vampire chuckled to herself, and tried to stifle an oncoming blush, touched by the Dark Lord's compliment. She sighed briefly, and assumed a more stern gaze. "Let's just say I've stayed my hand for far too long," she replied, as she clenched her fists by her sides and tensed all the muscles in her exquisite body. "Not anymore."

The aged daiyoukai chortled merrily at that, those his tone indicated something other than simple mirth. Suddenly, another armored giant appeared before them, and swung down his enormous sword, and both leaped back out of harm's way.

"Do you mind!" Fuhai exclaimed, quite exasperated by the sneak attack. "We're in the middle of a conversation here!" He landed on the back of his limo, then leaped straight up past the knight's shield, until he was right before its' helmet. "What, you think you're so high and might because you have a huge sword," he asked, as he nailed his much larger opponent with a series of rapid punches and kicks that went faster than the blink of an eye. "Ha! You're nothing more than a buckethead, who's suffering from a severe case of overcompensation!"

The knight continued to be pummeled, and seemed quite flustered. Akasha was surprised at first, but then realized that with a sword and shield equipped, the gigantic warrior had no free hands to have warded off his much smaller opponent. After a few more seconds, it reared its helmet back and unleashed a devastating headbutt, which knocked Fuhai right towards the Shinso. She quickly moved into position, and caught the hurtling Dark Lord against her breathtaking torso. The impact of the collision slid her back a foot, but her spine remained straight, and her knees didn't even bend.

"[Big Boss!]" one of the black-clad men shouted in Chinese. "[Are you alright?]"

"[Just fine, Chang!]" the wizened daiyoukai replied, as he raised his thumb for emphasis. "[Feels good to be saved by a pretty lady!]"

Akasha chuckled in sardonic amusement, as she knew her ample chest was pressed right into his back, and had a good inkling about his meaning. "Do you need help with this one," she asked with a cool smile.

"Nope, I got 'im. Thanks for catching me, though, I do appreciate it."

The Shinso gently placed him on his feet, and watched as he took to the air again. "Alright, buckethead!" he called out to his enormous adversary as he raised his arm aloft, which created an afterimage from the motion. "Time to show you the power of the world's best blade!"

"[Uh oh,]" the driver spoke with a wary look as he stepped back.

"[Here it comes,]" Change added with an equally wary look.

Fuhai reached his peak, and then came straight down towards the knight, his right hand upraised. "_**HOUGETSU JIGENTOU!**_" he shouted, and chopped straight down as he descended. A huge gash was created from his attack, which ran all the way down the knight's armored body. The diminutive daiyoukai landed on the ground, and turned away from his defeated opponent, his right arm stretched out to the side. No sooner than he did that both halves of the knight finally collapsed on the ground, as its armor broke into pieces. "His blade was no match for mine," the Wong patriarch spoke assuredly, as his long white hair flowed to the side in the sullen breeze that blew his way.

Suddenly, a huge lightning bolt crashed down onto the lead vehicle and detonated it in a huge fiery explosion, which caused its former occupants to scamper away. Fuhai spun around and saw his prized possession in flames, as the smoke billowed up into the sky. "My car," he spoke in a small voice, mortified by the scene before him.

"Who dares interfere in the affairs of Lord Dracula," the dark-robed figure spoke threateningly as it materialized before them.

"[What the hecht is that, Lee,]" Chang asked with a terrified look.

"[I dunno, but his aura is... gigundo!]"

"He trashed my car," the aged daiyoukai spoke under his breath, as his fist shook by his side, "now it's personal." He spun around, and glared at the evil servant, as a titanic murderous intent emanated from his wizened form. "You wanna know who I am," he asked challengingly, his anger seemingly limitless as his aura suddenly erupted around him, "I'll show you!" An immense amount of youki radiated from his body, which Akasha sensed was similar to when she released her seals. And yet, the Wong patriarch had no such article on his person, as it seemed his youki was willfully compressed. As she watched, the robed figure grew taller, and his gnarled hands became smoother. The numerous wrinkles on his face disappeared, and his hair changed to night black. He removed his smoke pipe, and it disappeared into his flowing sleeves. He removed his sunglasses, which revealed his steely eyes and furrowed brow. He produced a pair of reading glasses in his left hand, and placed them on the end of his nose. He then got into a defensive stance, his suddenly youthful body prepared for battle. "I am the Second Dark Lord," he proclaimed in his new voice, "Fuhai Touhou, the youjutsu master! And **you,** denizen of Dracula, are meatloaf!"

Akasha looked the transformed daiyoukai, and arched up an eyebrow. "Meatloaf," she asked quizzically.

"[That is so lame,]" Chang noted with a deflated look.

"[Shut up!]" the previously aged man snapped irritably at his underlings. "[Don't you dare criticize me now, not when I've taken on my young form for the first time in recent memory! Any more snide remarks and I'll make your lives a living hell once we get back!]"

Lee wailed in horror, aghast that his superior had become so enraged, which took him completely off-guard. "[Forgive us, Big Boss!]"

"Impudent mortal," the evil figure interjected, an infuriated and annoyed tone to his spectral voice, "thou shalt surely perish this night. **Destroy them, my servants!**" he commanded, and the huge army turned and headed towards Akasha and Fuhai.

"I hope you're ready for this," the Shinso remarked with a sidelong glance.

"Hey, if you're not pulling your punches anymore, neither will I. Time to show these idiots that Dracula's no longer needed in our world." He reared back with his right hand, his index finger extended. "_**CHARGE!**_" he shouted, as he pointed towards the advancing enemies. He and Akasha rushed towards their enemies, with the Wongs bringing up the rear.

* * *

The cyan-haired girl continued to stand in a daze, as everything was filtered through a crimson haze. All she could recall was a powerful yet familiar force, which compelled her to awaken. Her first instinct was to head towards the source, as she was certain it was her lord and master. She simply stood in place, and eagerly awaited his orders.

But after a few moments, the compulsion subsided, and she became aware of a persistent tugging on her right arm. "Kurumu-san," a small voice pleaded, "Kurumu-san, wake up!"

The incognito succubus gasped, as she recognized the voice by heart. She looked beside her, and saw a familiar figure tugging on her arm. "Yukari-chan!" she exclaimed, and instinctively pulled her into her arms. "Yukari-chan, are you alright?"

"Yes, Kurumu-san," the small witch replied, tears of happiness running down her cheeks as she melted into her classmate's soft embrace. "I'm so glad you're back, desu."

The incognito succubus smiled in response, and cried along with her.

"Yukari-chan, Kurumu-san," a familiar female voice interjected.

The young brunette turned and saw her fellow witch had joined them. "Ruby-san!" she exclaimed happily. "You're alright, desu!"

"Of course," the dark-haired woman replied with a light tilt of her head. "We witches have a powerful self-regeneration, don't we?"

Yukari nodded happily, but then her joyful mood faded, and was replaced by a somber expression. "But, Moka-san," she spoke, as her violet eyes became downcast.

"What," the cyan-haired girl asked in an alarmed voice, as she remembered what happened before she was knocked unconscious earlier. "What happened?" She took hold of the brunette's small shoulders, and looked straight into her violet eyes. "Yukari-chan, did she hurt you," she inquired intently.

"No, it's not that," the child prodigy replied with an uncertain look. "Moka-san, she-" She looked back over her shoulder, a worried expression on her young face.

The voluptuous teenager looked in the same direction, and all but screamed at what she saw. Kneeling on the floor was a huge female form in tattered clothes, her face concealed under her long ivory tresses. The indescribable aura she radiated was far beyond what she'd demonstrated during the fight. What frightened her even more was she feared it was the vampire's aura that roused her from her earlier comatose state, which Moka had caused, no less. "What happened to her," she asked with a blank look.

"So she finally used it," Ruby noted gravely, an awed look in her pinkish eyes.

Kurumu gave her a questioning look, but soon realized she'd referred to Dracula's power, which the incognito succubus recognized too well. She then warily turned her gaze to the white-haired woman, unsure of she was friend or foe. "Moka," she asked cautiously as she slowly walked towards the transformed vampire, "are you, back with us?"

She initially got no response, which prompted her to have approached closer.

"**Leave me alone,**" the princess finally spoke in a broken dual voice, which stopped Kurumu in her tracks.

"But Moka-san-" Yukari protested.

"**I said, leave me alone,**" the vampire replied, trying to sound assertive though her wounded emotions were plainly evident. "**Don't get involved with me, or you'll die.**"

Kurumu looked strangely at her, confused by her uncharacteristic demeanor. "Are you alright, Moka?"

"**Don't speak as though you know me,**" the white-haired woman shot back, intense bitterness in her distorted voice. "**You wouldn't, want to.**"

The incognito succubus was completely taken aback by her self-loathing, and turned back to the small witch behind her. "What did I miss?"

"Hmm," Yukari began pensively, as she touched her chin with her right index finger. "It could be-"

Before she could've elaborated further, a fierce impact coupled with a pained groan was heard on the other side of the room. Everyone turned, and saw Pfaria standing over a fallen Shuzen, with the prone form of a dark-haired woman nearby.

"Michiru-san!" the small witch cried out.

"**Chichiu-e!**" Moka cried out, as she finally lifted her bruised and crestfallen features.

"You should've paid more attention," the elder sister began with a callous scowl as she lifted her father by the scruff of the neck. "She was about to come this old codger's next meal," she consluded, as she glanced sidelong towards the former PSC agent's body.

"What," Kurumu asked with a shocked expression. She pondered on what Pfaria had spoken and quickly made the connection. "Oh, that's it!" she declared angrily, as she unsheathed her claws. "You are **so** dead, Shuzen!" As she began to advance towards the nigh incoherent lord, she felt a crushing grip on her left wrist. She looked down, and saw it tightly clasped by a long-fingered hand. She looked behind her, and saw her former classmate had constrained her.

"**No,**" the vampire spoke in a cold, resolute voice, as she began to rise to her feet, "**this is **_**my**_ **fight.**"

The incognito succubus quivered as the white-haired woman stood up straight. She was easily the same height she'd been after Komiya's death, but her musculature was more developed, and the aura she generated was much greater than it had been that dark day. What she found was most frightening was the vampire's brooding visage. The left side of her face was badly inflamed, and her respective eye was swollen shut. The sclera of her right eye was night black, with the traditional slitted crimson iris common for vampires. However, her eyelids had changed to blood red, with a single crimson streak that ran down her cheek.

Moka looked down to the comparatively diminutive girl before her. "**Take the others and go,**" she spoke in a cold, yet concerned voice, as she had during her academy days, "**I'll finish this.**"

"Will you really be alright," the incognito succubus asked worriedly, as she retracted her claws.

The transformed vampire pulled on her arm, and moved the cyan-haired girl past her right side. "**Don't concern yourself with me,**" she replied dismissively as she walked away, "**you'll live longer that way.**"

"Moka, get back here!" Kurumu called out, but saw her former classmate hadn't responded, or even acknowledged that she'd heard her, and realized her words had fallen on deaf ears. She exhaled irritably, aggravated by the princess's actions.

The third-born daughter of Issa Shuzen stopped in place, and looked straight at her elder sibling, who still held her father by the scruff of the neck. "**Aneue, release him!**" she spoke in a commanding voice.

"What," Pfaria asked with an insulted look, "no 'thank you' for saving the stupid girl's life? T'ch, kids these days, no respect for their elders."

"**You're no one to be talking about respect!**" the superhuman being snapped heatedly. "**Chichiu-e gave you everything and now you **_**dare**_ **turn against him? You've gone too far this time, Aneue! I won't forgive you anymore!**"

"Whatever," the silver-haired woman replied casually, "as if I need the approval of some cheap dime-store knockoff."

"**What did you call me,**" Moka hissed through clenched teeth.

"You heard me, but of course I know you'll never admit it. Being honest with oneself is asking far too much of a vampire." She callously tossed her father's form aside, and didn't spare him a second glance as he tumbled gracelessly across the floor. She then folded her thick arms under her huge bosom, as she shifted her weight onto her right leg. "You really think this is gonna make a difference," she asked with a bemused smirk. "Don't delude yourself, a candle always burns brightest when it's about to go out. You should've just stayed down, it would've been less painful that way."

"**Don't try to bluff me, Aneue, I can smell your fear.**" She lowered her chin, as she kept her burning gaze upon her sibling. "**I warned you what would happen if you kept fighting with Chichiu-e, yet you brazenly defied me. You shouldn't have forced my hand, Aneue,**" the taiyoukai continued, a twinge of remorse in her demonic voice. "**One way or another, you **_**will**_ **learn your place.**"

"Give it a rest!" Pfaria snapped irritably. "No matter how hard you try to sound like her, you are _not_ Moka! The old man killed her! Everyone knows it," she continued angrily, "yet they're all trying to pretend she's still alive! They're just eating out of the old bastard's hand, it couldn't possibly be any more pathetic!" An infuriated hiss escaped her, as she took on a more alert stance. "Even that worthless old bat has bought into it, I'll kill her once I'm done with you and the codger over there."

"**You will not threaten Haha-ue!**" the incensed princess shot back, clearly infuriated by her sister's threats.

"And you think you can stop me," the silver-haired woman asked with a challenging gesture. "Go ahead and try, I'll send all three of you to Hell. You can all burn together, just like a proper vampire family." She threw her head back and emitted a piercing gale of derisive laughter.

"Oh that bitch!" Kurumu declared, infuriated that Pfaria could've been so callous towards her own family. But before she could've acted, Moka's statuesque form seemed to disappear, and then reappeared a split second later behind her sister, who wasn't aware that she'd even moved. In the blink of an eye, she was sent flying forward at incredible speeds, sailing right past Kurumu and smashing through the wall behind her. "No way!" the incognito succubus exclaimed, startled by the sheer force of the attack, which dwarfed what she displayed earlier in the fight.

"**Get out of here!**" the huge taiyoukai snapped at her and the others. "**All of you!**" She made her way past them and headed after her sister.

Yukari looked on in fear and awe, amazed at the amount of power within the transformed vampire. "Will Moka-san really be alright," she asked worriedly.

"Are you kidding, of course she'll be alright," Kurumu replied as she held her classmate close by her side. "Now that she's finally gotten serious, Pfaria is toast!"

"Maybe," Ruby interjected, not as convinced as her peers.

* * *

Pfaria found herself face down on the floor, and growled in aggravation as she strove to shake off the cobwebs. "Oh, that little brat," she snarled, "She's _really_ gonna pay now." She picked her head up and looked down the darkened hall ahead of her. She saw a few suits of armor that lined both sides of the corridor, as well as an unmistakable murderous intent, aimed right at her. "Who's there!" she demanded as she became fully alert, though her aching body didn't respond as fast as he'd preferred.

Before she could've gotten a response, the sound of breaking stone came from behind. Pfaria looked over her shoulder, and saw her opponent had forcibly enlarged the hole and passed through. The charlatan immediately broke into a sprint, and the fallen sister instinctively rolled across the floor. No sooner than she did that her opponent's foot came crashing down on her former location, and the floor fractured badly. The trembling corridor caused all the armored suits to topple onto the floor and break into pieces. Both vampires scampered away as a large section of the floor crumbled away, and separated the two of them.

The eldest sister quickly regained her footing, and looked across the newly created hole to her imposing adversary. "_Blast,_" she thought to herself, "_how can she be so fast with all that bulk?_" She paused for a moment, and watched as the towering demon took hold of her left shoulder. She moved it tentatively for a few moments, concentrated her youki, and then forced it back into place, which resulted in a sickening crunch and an agonized cry on her part.

A moment later, she brought her left hand up, and wiggled her elongated digits. After watching that, the shorter woman found that she couldn't stop trembling. "_She fixed her own broken shoulder,_" she asked her herself mentally, "_that's impossible!_" She then growled to herself, and strove to stop her shaking body. "_Get a grip, Pfaria, despite what she's done, she's running on fumes. All I need is one good opening, and she's finished. Then I can finish off the old man, he needs to die slowly for what he's done._" After several seconds, she got her trembling under control, and a smile came across her pale features. "_Moka, Heinrich, tonight you'll be avenged. I promise._"

Suddenly, her adversary leaped across the chasm, and aimed a flying kick at the silver-haired woman, who quickly evaded the oncoming attack. The charlatan twisted her large body in midair and landed on one knee, as she looked back towards the eldest sister. She then sprung to her feet, all but instantly closed the gap between her and Pfaria, and unleashed another roundhouse kick, which might've ended the fight then had the older woman not ducked. As she spun around again, the rebellious princess drove her elbow into her well-muscled yet still injured abdomen, which couldn't fully absorb the blow. She nailed her with two more elbows, which doubled her over. She then moved in and kicked her right in the chops, which snapped her head back and staggered her a few steps. Pfaria concentrated her youki into her right fist, rushed in and aimed another blow at her opponent's exposed midsection. However, before her blow connected, her adversary spun out of the way and nailed her between the shoulder blades with a reverse roundhouse kick, which sent her sprawling down the corridor. Her momentum made her tumble repeatedly until she came to a stop sixty feet away.

The eldest sister groaned in agony as she strove to rise again. Her entire body screamed in pain as she rolled onto her front, and struggled to keep her head off the floor. As she looked up, she saw her opponent slowly headed her way, a taunting sway to her round hips as she advanced, and a wry smirk and her bruised visage. Infuriated by her opponent's obvious conceit, Pfaria ignored the pain of her battered form as she got to her knees. "Don't look down on _me,_ you little brat!" she snapped in aggravation as she finally regained her footing. She concentrated her youki into her right fist, and charged forward with a savage battle cry. But before she could've reached her target, the towering woman reached out and tightly grasped the top of Pfaria's head, which stopped her approach. She swung repeatedly, but none of her blows could've connected, which enraged her even more. In between blows, she was nailed hard in the stomach with a vicious kick, which caused her to cough up another mouthful of blood. She then received another kick to the stomach, and felt a few of her ribs breaking. Her head was then released, but before she could've collapsed, she got nailed right under the chin with a high kick, that sent her flying into the air and mercilessly smashed her against the ceiling, which cracked from the tremendous impact. A couple of moments later, her badly battered form fell back down and landed hard on the floor, and the cracked section of the ceiling collapsed, which caused debris to fall around as well as atop her.

Pfaria groaned weakly, as she struggled to retain consciousness. The grueling battle was beginning to remind her of her last fight against her mother, which was originally a sparring match before it degenerated into an all-out brawl after she commented on the failing quality of Akasha's marriage. In truth, she'd never meant to insult her, but she was concerned her mother was headed for a major fall, which happened on Moka's seventh birthday party. The reminder of that dark day raised her ire, and she forced her nigh incapacitated body off the floor, despite its excruciating protests.

As she rose to a sitting position, a gale of demonic laughter assailed her ears. She looked ahead, and saw her opponent standing over her, peering down her nose as well as past her massive chest towards her. The impostor's right hand was on her hip, as she pivoted her weight in her right leg. Pfaria tried to stop trembling, but found it next to impossible as she realized how small she seemed before her adversary. She gulped to herself, and wondered if Moka ever felt the same way towards her.

"**You pitiful woman,**" the charlatan began, her fangs exposed by her haughty grin. "**Do you realize now how futile it is to challenge me?**" Her grin soon gave way to a contemptuous scowl. "**You really think you can avenge your sister with just this? T'ch, she deserves better than to be burdened by a weakling like you.**"

"_**KHHHHHHHHHHHK!**_" Pfaria hissed, never so insulted as she was at that moment. The ire she felt seemed to be limitless, and it caused her to forget about her wretched condition. She rose to one knee, with a double axehandle with her gloved hands, and then drove them right into the impostor's stomach with all her strength and anger. The white-haired fraud groaned in pain as she staggered back several steps, a look of shock and disbelief on her deathly pale face as she held her injured stomach. Pfaria then rose to her feet, a blazing satanic aura about her as she glared at her stricken opponent. "You just signed your death warrant, bitch," she spoke in a deathly cold voice, and then charged towards her opponent, her right fist low by her side. "_**DEMON UPPERCUT!**_" she shouted, as she channeled all her youki into her right fist, and drove it upwards right under her enemy's chin. Her momentum caused her to jump into the air, and her opponent went flying into the air. She sailed up into the air, and almost collided with the ceiling herself, Her body arched back, landed hard on the floor, bounced up and flew back eight more feet before she finally came to a stop.

* * *

Ruby and Yukari headed down the hall, led by the light generated by the older witch's scepter. Kurumu followed behind, as she carried the still unconscious Michiru. The corridor was littered with debris and fallen suits of armor, though one curiously remained upright. However, their concern for their former friend clearly took precedence, so they continued forward.

They made their way over a huge chasm in the floor, which told them that Moka and Pfaria were close by. A little ways past, they finally saw the two battling vampires. Unfortunately, the eldest sister was atop her relative, straddling her midriff as she unleashed a series of blows at her opponent's face. "You think I'm not good enough to be Moka's sister," she demanded angrily, as she unleashed a flurry of blows at her opponent's face. "You little maggot, I'm gonna rip your head off and play hackey sack with it!"

The incognito succubus looked on in disbelief, shocked by what her violet eyes beheld. "You're kidding me," she remarked to her companions, and almost failed to keep her voice down, "she had her!"

"No she didn't," Ruby calmly replied, "Moka-san suffered too much damage. Had she employed that technique sooner, she might've already won."

The cyan-haired girl growled incredulously, sorely tempted to have intervened in her classmate's losing battle.

"Moka-san," Yukari interjected sadly, "did you really say Pfaria-san wasn't good enough to be your sister." A bitter sigh escaped her lips, as she bowed her head and tightly shut her violet eyes. "You fool, that's the worst thing you could've said to her." She grit her teeth together, both saddened and disgusted by her former friend's actions.

As they looked on from their vantage point, they watched as Pfaria nailed her stricken opponent with a crushing left cross, when she growled in pain and pulled her hand back. She looked at it for a moment, and then hissed to herself. "No matter," she spoke after a dismissive exhale, "it's time to end this." She rose to her feet, her anger still unsatisfied. She reached down, grabbed her opponent's ivory hair, and pulled her off the floor. "You've mocked me once too often," she began coldly, as she glared into her opponent's suddenly frightened eyes. "Even worse, you mocked my little sister. You've more than crossed the line this time."

"**Aneue, please stop,**" the badly wounded charlatan spoke in a pitiful voice, tears in her barely open eyes. "**Don't you remember me, **_**I'm**_ **your little sister.**"

"_**SHUT UP!**_" the enraged princess snapped, and smashed her fist into into her adversary's badly swollen face. "I've had enough of your lies!" She then grabbed the back of her neck, along with her right thigh, and knelt down. She then lifted her opponent off her feet, straightened up and raised her high overhead. "No one mocks my little Moka," she declared, as she raised her right knee up, while she kept her opponent overhead.

"**Aneue, **_**NO!**_" the charlatan pleaded in sheer desperation, though her words fell on deaf ears.

"_**NO ONE!**_" the eldest sister shouted, as she drove her adversary down upon her knee with all her demonic strength. A sickening crunch was heard, coupled with her enemy's agonized screams, which lasted almost twenty seconds. She then pushed her opponent onto the floor, stood up and spat on her for good measure.

The cyan-haired girl growled in anger, more livid that she'd ever been in recent memory. She leaned Michiru against the wall, then immediately headed towards the unrepentant daiyoukai, her claws extended and her eyes glowing with murderous intent.

"Kurumu-san, don't!" Yukari cried out.

The enraged succubus stopped short as she saw Pfaria had spotted her. Despite that, she couldn't feel anything but rage towards her classmate's errant sister. "You stupid clueless cow," she began heatedly, tempted to have attacked at that moment, "I've had all I can stand of you! I'm gonna chop up your overinflated body into bite-sized chunks and serve them on the school lunch menu!"

The eldest sister laughed derisively, amused by the teenager's threats. "Go ahead and try, it'll be the last mistake you ever make."

Before the succubus could've moved, a dark mist wafted in briskly from down the hall. It passed the others and began to surround Pfaria. Suddenly, a pair of powerful arms emerged from the mist and quickly pinned her limbs against her sides before she could've defended herself. A few moments later, the mist faded away, and was replaced by a tall figure in a black tuxedo with matching trousers. Though his back was to them, his attire and silver curls gave him way. "Shuzen!" she declared, shocked that the Dark Lord would've risked attacking his daughter again in his current state.

The patriarch opened his fanged mouth wide and reared his head back. Pfaria quickly kicked her right leg back against her sire's knee, which made him grimace in pain. She kicked him five more times, and his grip slowly began to slacken. She finally got her arms free, nailed him in the groin with a fierce elbow, spun around and nailed him with a backhanded blow, which sent him sprawling to the floor.

The rebellious child of the Third Dark Lord Shuzen looked down at her fallen sire, her lips contorted in a contemptuous sneer. "Trying to feed off your own daughter," she remarked blandly, which starkly contrasted to the seething rage within her, "you truly do have no shame." She then reached down, grabbed the back of his tuxedo, and roughly yanked him to his feet. "If you think it's so much fun preying on the weak," she continued, as she bound his arms to his sides, "let's see how _you_ like being the prey."

"Don't tell me," Kurumu began with a blank look, as she had an awful idea of what the daiyoukai had planned.

As she watched, Pfaria reared her head back, opened her mouth wide and drive her deadly fangs right into her father's neck. Her sire screamed in agony and humiliation, as Pfaria maintained her hold and continued to siphon his vitae. Her insides exulted as her father's precious blood traveled down her throat. Shuzen struggled desperately, but that only encouraged his daughter to intensify her feasting. As she did, her hands grabbed the front of his tuxedo and ripped it open in one fluid motion. Her hands then went into his dress shirt, as she rubbed her hips against him.

A bluish haze covered the voluptuous teenager's forehead, as she was aghast by the increasingly obscene display before her. "I think I'm going to be sick," she managed to utter.

"Is she doing what I think she is," Yukari asked warily as she came up beside her classmate.

"Please don't look," Ruby interjected as she came up from behind and covered her fellow witch's eyes with her slender hand.

Suddenly, an immeasurable murderous intent emanated from behind the feasting daiyoukai, which caught everyone's attention. Pfaria quickly removed her fangs and looked over her shoulder. Once she did, she saw her opponent had risen to her feet, a look of infinite hate in her glowing red eyes as a demonic hiss escaped her blood-colored lips. "You've got to be kidding me," the eldest sister spoke under her breath, naked fear on her pale face.

"Moka-san," Yukari asked, unable to stop trembling.

"No way!" Kurumu exclaimed in shock. "How can she still move after Pfaria broke her spine?"

"This is bad," Ruby noted with an equally worried look.

Before she could've elaborated further, the berserk vampire instantly moved forward, as her bloodied claw emerged from Shuzen's chest, while Pfaria stood beside him.

The incognito succubus shook her head, shocked at what just occurred, even more so by its speed. "What the hecht," she asked with a thunderstruck look, "what just happened?"

Yukari gasped to herself, and she felt a strange aura from her earring. Her left hand instinctively touched it, and time seemed to reverse before her. The three vampires returned to their former positions, with Pfaria holding onto her father from behind, while looking back to the insane Moka. She released the article, and saw time moving forward again, but at a slower pace. She watched as a sinister smile appeared on Pfaria's face, which made her cringe. The eldest sister turned back to Shuzen, and Moka screamed in limitless fury. She immediately lunged towards her mad sister, her claw reared back in striking position. At the same time, Pfaria grabbed her father's throat, moved aside and pulled him back, just as the insane vampire's claw plunged through his back and out his chest.

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" Yukari screamed, as the temporal phenomenon ended.

* * *

Pfaria threw her head back in uproarious laughter, elated as she hadn't been in years. "Oh, this is too rich!" she declared in between laughs. "To think she's actually cut _your_ strings!" she spoke mockingly as she looked down to her fallen sire, a gaping wound in the middle of his back. "A slow death is just what you deserve, old man. And once you die, the real fun begins." She laughed once more, as she savored the thought of her father being tortured in Hell.

Her exultation was abruptly cut short by a vicious diagonal slash across the face, which caught her right eye and just barely missed her left. She growled in pain, opened her uninjured eye, and saw her opponent before her, a bloodthirsty look in her glowing red eyes. Before Pfaria could've reacted, she received another slash across the stomach, which frightened her as much as it wounded her. In the next instance, she stood paralyzed as she felt a clawed hand pierced through her body, as blood came flying from her mouth. She looked down, and saw her enemy's muscular arm embedded just below her breastbone. The feral adversary extracted her claw, which caused Pfaria to collapse onto the floor.

The eldest sister laid in a crumpled heap, an incoherent look in her crimson irises. "How could this be," she asked in a barely audible voice. "I was... so close." It was then that a guttural growl reached her ears. She looked up, and saw her berserk adversary knelt down over her, no semblance of rational thought in her beastly visage. "So this is how it ends, huh," the silver-haired woman asked weakly. "Go ahead, there's nothing left for me in this world."

The bloodthirsty demon screamed in satanic rage, its fangs bared menacingly as it raised its bloodied claw.

"_Ura-chan, no!_" a disembodied voice spoke urgently. "_This isn't what you want! We're supposed to save everyone! Aneue, Haha-ue, and Tsukune!_"

The feral creature inhaled sharply, a confused look on its pale face. "**Tsu... ku... ne,**" it asked in a hissing, guttural voice.

Pfaria blanched in response, shocked that her opponent was still capable of coherent speech.

"_That's right,_" the same voice replied, "_we're supposed to rescue him. And the last thing he ever wanted,_" it continued sadly, "_was to see us with blood on our hands._"

The charlatan gulped nervously, and looked to its bloodied claw. "**Tsukune,**" it spoke in a distorted voice, a horrified look on its face, "_**TSUKUNEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_"

Pfaria emitted a rising growl, as she placed all of her remaining strength into one last blow, which caught her distracted opponent right in the jaw. She toppled over, and the eldest sister pushed her off her body. She then forced her onto her back, and pinned down her right shoulder. A weak chuckle escaped her bloodied lips as she looked into her adversary's more rational and frightened face. "Stupid kid, you missed your chance," she spoke boastfully, despite her wretched condition. She then formed a knifehand with her free hand and reared back, her strike aimed at her opponent's throat. "Now you're gonna die, like the puppet that you are."

At that moment, the image of her opponent wavered, and was replaced with a seven-year-old girl with long silver hair, clad in a simple black dress. "Aneue, no!" she cried out with a terrified look.

Pfaria gasped in horror and immediately covered her eyes with her elbow, appalled at what she'd just seen. She shivered for several seconds, and coughed weakly. When she looked again, she saw her opponent beneath her, still in her transformed state, and an anxious look on her face. "No," the eldest sister said to herself, as she formed a knifehand again, though it trembled visibly. The thought that she'd been fighting her own sister the whole time was too much for her to bear. Devastated, as well as delirious from the lack of blood, she brought her hand back into a striking position. "_**NO!**_" she shouted, as she unleashed her fatal strike. However, her adversary managed to squirm out of the way, and Pfaria's hand went right through the floor.

* * *

Moka struggled to get her breathing under control, still shaken at how close she'd come to death. However, she noted a sudden change in her demeanor when she called out, and began to wonder if she was finally reaching her long lost sister. As she rolled onto her side, she saw Pfaria still on her hands and knees, whimpering to herself. "No, it can't be," she uttered weakly, as tears ran down her face, "she's dead!"

At that moment, the younger princess lunged forward and took hold of her sibling's grieving shoulders. "**Aneue, please stop!**" she pleaded desperately. "**I don't want to fight you anymore!**"

"Get away from me!" Pfaria snapped, and elbowed her opponent in the ribs, which knocked her back. The pain from the blow was negligible, though she was still emotionally hurt.

Once she recovered, she saw her sister crawling on her elbows towards the railing at the end of the hall. She quickly caught up with her and grabbed her ankle. "**Aneue, don't run away,**" Moka implored longingly. "**Don't leave me alone!**" The impostor released her leg, and then took hold of her shoulders again. "**Please, Aneue, just look at me!**"

"Let me go!" the broken sister shouted hoarsely.

Moka felt her struggling in her grasp, but it was very weak, as was her life-force. Deep down she feared her sister was dying, and didn't want her to have perished alone. She lifted Pfaria up to her knees, wrapped her around her and held her tightly against her immense chest. "**I'm sorry, Pfaria,**" the former academy student spoke sadly. She felt her sister had stiffened in her grasp, but it was all she could've done at that moment, as her mother and sister had done for her countless times. "**I'm sorry I didn't understand your feelings. But please, stop hurting me, I'm right here! Your little Moka is right here!**"

"_**SHUT UP!**_" the hysterical Pfaria cried out, and desperately lashed out with both elbows, which caught the white-haired woman in the jaw. She finally released her grip, and watched as her sister collapsed against the railing, and struggled to pull herself to her feet.

Moka remained on her knees and solemnly bowed her head. "**I guess, you don't recognize me with this body.**" A somber sigh escaped sigh as she rose to her feet. "**It seems, there's only one recourse.**" She raised her head, and looked sadly at her struggling sibling. "**Maybe you're right, maybe we are too proud, to learn any other way. I just hope, you can forgive me, for what I must now do.**"

She stepped back five paces, and watched as her sister finally got to her feet. She used her trembling arms to support herself, and fearfully looked over her shoulder. She spun around, a terrified look in her left eye, her right eye swollen shut after the gashes Moka had inflicted. The white-haired woman grimaced, appalled that she'd lost control and badly wounded her blood relative. With a tremendous mental effort, she pushed aside her anguished emotions and focused on the task at hand. She then concentrated all her remaining youki, and charged towards her stricken sibling. "_**MINOHODO WO SHIRE!**_" she shouted, as she spun around and delivered a thundering reverse back kick, which sent Pfaria through the railing. She screamed in terror as she fell fifteen feet, and crashed down onto the floor below.

Moka looked down at the body of her defeated sister, as the tears began to stream from her eyes. Despite her father's teachings about never displaying weakness, she couldn't deny that Pfaria had most likely been slain by her hand, which thoroughly crushed her already wounded heart. Even worse, she knew her mother would've been furious once she discovered what just occurred. The seemingly invincible daiyoukai fell to her knees, appalled with herself. "**Aneue, what have I done,**" she asked, as she raised her tear-streaked face to the heavens. "_**ANEUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_"

* * *

Oh gosh, that was too painful. Has Pfaria truly perished? Will Moka ever recover from this tragedy? And if not, who'll stop Colton's diabolical plans to revive Dracula?

"It'll be alright, somehow."

I wish I could believe that, Moka-san. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter XI So Ends the Great Battle

And before I forget, "taiyoukai" = superior demon (above a daiyoukai)


	14. Part II Chapter XI

A/N: Hello everyone. It seems I lost a lot of readers with the last chapter. Two and a half negative reviews and the lowest hit count for any chapter in this saga. People told me I let an OC take control of the story, and upon reflection, I see that's exactly what I did. I had an idea, ran with it, and it clearly bombed. It taught me a painful lesson, that a Mary Sue is still a Mary Sue, regardless if it's only for one arc. I've been considering removing her entirely, and replacing her with the canon fourth sister, Akuha. Though she is pretty Sueish in her own right. Naturally, this will mean some serious rewriting, but-

"What a minute, Author-san, you promised she wouldn't be in the fic!"

I'm just considering it. If not, I'll keep the story as is and deem it a learning experience. To Blue Toxin and Jasper, it's unfortunate you're no longer interested in my story. I thank you for reading up to this point. But let me make one thing perfectly clear. If you have concerns about the story, just say so, we can discuss the matter like adults. If you insult me or make false accusations (like that I've deceived people with the story summary), I won't be inclined to honor your concerns. Would _you_ want to listen to someone who insults you and then asks for your help? Kinda counterproductive, don't you think? Just something to keep in mind.

To all my remaining and loyal readers, I'm gonna cut down on chapter length, as well as time in between chapters. People liked seventeen pages or so, I did, too. Granted I might've missed it again with this chapter, but I _am_ trying, really. Anyway, the arc ends here, and a new one start soon.

So, now that that's out of the way, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter XI  
So Ends the Great Battle...

Kurumu and Yukari passed through a decently high archway, and found themselves upon a wide barricaded walkway, which ran around the perimeter of a huge chamber, one they'd passed through earlier when Kahlua escorted them through the castle. A single stairwell was situated ten feet from their position, which led to the lower level. The floor was damaged in several places, which told them they were to close to their former friend.

The pair had proceeded forward, as they'd sensed the dreadful battle had finally ended. Ruby stayed behind with Michiru and Shuzen, the latter in nigh critical condition, and tended as best she could to his ghastly wounds. Though none of them considered him an ally, they all knew his death would've been disastrous for them, and would've most likely traumatized Moka even further.

They looked ahead, and saw the despondent figure of their classmate, who bawled uncontrollably as she remained on her hands and knees, clearly lost in despair. The guardrail was broken ahead of her, and there was no sign of her opponent, which gave them an awful feeling of what had become of her.

"Moka-san," Yukari spoke sadly, tears in her violet eyes, "Pfaria-san." Mortified by the possibility of the eldest sister's death, she slowly approached the white-haired woman, who seemed oblivious to her presence. Her classmate accompanied her as they stopped near the aggrieved princess.

The aggrieved daiyoukai stopped her sobbing for a moment, and turned her head towards them. "**Why are you still here,**" she asked in a broken voice."**You should leave, before you die too.**" She looked away, and began weeping again. "**Anyone who gets close to me, will die.**"

The incognito succubus knelt down by her side. "We're not leaving," she retorted with a stern look, "not without you, Moka."

"**Don't be an idiot!**" the princess snapped bitterly, as she glared at the cyan-haired girl beside her. "**I ****just killed Chichi-ue **_**and **_**Aneue! What's to say I won't kill you, too?**" Her gaze returned to the floor, as her ivory tresses acted like a curtain and concealed her grieving face. "**What's to say I won't kill... Haha-ue?**" She rested her face on her forearms, as she wailed uncontrollably.

The incognito succubus exhaled irritably through her clenched teeth, as she brought up her clenched fists. "And you're alright with this," she demanded of the despondent teenager. "You're alright thinking you can't stop killing? You idiot!" she snapped viciously, as she thrust her fists down by her sides. "That's the same thing Pfaria said about vampires! That's why she was gonna wipe out every single one, including herself! Are you _really_ gonna her the satisfaction of knowing she's beaten you," she demanded heatedly, as she knelt down, took hold of her broad shoulders, and lifted Moka up so she would've looked her in the eye. "_**ARE YOU?**_"

Before she could've gotten a response, she felt a piercing blow right in her posterior, which made her cry out in pain. She spun around, and seethed as she saw the young witch, who brandished her broken wand. "What was that for," she demanded with an incensed glare as she held her rump.

"That won't help her, boobs for brains," the brunette responded with an unamused frown. "Move aside and let a mature woman handle this."

"Who are you calling mature," Kurumu inquired with a rather insulted look.

"Definitely not you, desu."

"Why you!" She lunged for her smaller companion, but she slipped by her and then she got jabbed in the butt again.

"Moka-san," Yukari began sadly as she stood before the daiyoukai, "Pfaria-san misses you. She truly believes you did perish, so she came here to avenge you."

The princess gasped to herself, as a bright blush appeared on her swollen cheeks. "**She did this, for me?**"

"Yes, I know she'd want nothing more than to see you again. So please, Moka-san," Yukari implored with tears in her eyes, "this could be your last chance. She needs you, and so do we, desu."

The severely injured vampire managed to rise up, pain etched deeply into her face, and saw on her knees. "**Why are you doing this,**" she asked with a confused look, "**you don't even know me.**"

Yukari thought about it for a few moments, before the answer finally came to her. "Because Tsukune-san would," she explained, "and we'd be insulting him by not doing the same, desu."

Kurumu groaned to herself, and looked away in disgust, sickened by her own personal failure.

The third-born daughter of the Dark Lord looked to them for several seconds, her expression a mixture of confusion, sadness, and a small sliver of hope. But as she strove to regain her footing, she cried out in obvious pain, and held the small of her back.

"Moka, stop!" the cyan-haired girl spoke urgently as she came to her side. "That nutcase almost broke you in half, you'll only hurt yourself!"

"**Leave me,**" the former academy sophomore replied through her pain, "**I must... save her, while I still can.**"

"And what if she's already-"

"**Don't say it!**" the wounded princess snapped fiercely as she grabbed Kurumu's throat. "**Don't you dare say it!** **Aneue is a vampire, she cannot die. Vampires cannot die!**" She whimpered on her knees, as fresh tears ran from her eyes.

The incognito succubus gagged for a moment, but then noticed the vampire's grip was very wan, most likely due to her emotional state. She slowly closed her eyes, and lightly took hold of her former classmate's wrist. "If that's true," she began in a lightly strangled voice, "then there's no point in trying to fight Dracula."

Moka inhaled sharply, and coughed for several moments, as her hand went to her ribs again.

Kurumu sighed to herself, then gave her head a defeated shake. "Come on," she began in a soft voice. "I'll help you get to Pfaria. I don't want to see you hurting yourself anymore," she concluded, as she wrapped her arms around the vampire's rag-covered body, and sobbed to herself. She felt her classmate stiffen in her embrace, but a few moments later she felt her embrace tightly returned, with a single arm no less.

"**You're too kind,**" Moka spoke into her ear, "**more than I could ever be.**"

"We can talk later, after you're done with Pfaria." She moved to the despondent princess's left side and bent her knees low, while her arms remained around Moka's torso. "On the count of three, stand up. One, two, _three!_" she concluded, as she grit her teeth together and straightened up. As she did, she felt how much heavier the vampire had become. She also became aware that her head was barely above her former classmate's massive chest, but she decided against mentioning the fact, and merely supported her former classmate. "Alright, I got you now. Let's head down to your sister."

The daiyoukai looked down towards the comparatively diminutive succubus, and gave her a sad smile. "**Thank you,**" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, and held the cyan-haired girl close against her.

Kurumu looked back to the small witch, who had an awed look on her face. "We'll be back in a little bit, Yukari-chan."

"Okay, don't take too long, desu."

The brunette then watched as her classmates slowly descended the stairs. She was actually amazed Kurumu had managed to lift Moka off the floor, despite her greater size and weight. She giggled to herself, as she realized she'd forgotten her friend's strength, which was easily overlooked due to her airy nature. Though she couldn't have admitted it then, she was proud of her close friend, and glad she'd come with them despite the apparent warning to the contrary, which sounded like it came from the legendary succubus mother herself, Lilith. She wanted to have a serious discussion on the subject once their business was finished in the castle.

A few minutes later, she saw the pair reached the bottom of the stairs. She could've seen them conversing with one another, but couldn't have made out their words from her vantage point. After a couple of moments, they embraced tightly, and Kurumu made her way back upstairs, a solemn look on her features.

"Is Moka-san alright," the small witch asked with a worried expression.

"Yeah, she just wants to be alone with her sister. She said she'd call us once she was finished with her sister."

Yukari hummed to herself and lowered her gaze, worried if the eldest sister would've survived the night.

"Come on," Kurumu interjected, which broke the child prodigy out of her train of thought, "let's head back to the others. There's nothing more we can do here."

"Okay, desu," the small witch replied with a somewhat forced smile, not wholly convinced was well in hand.

* * *

Ruby examined the only knight statue that remained standing in the whole corridor. Though it appeared nothing more than an inert suit of armor, she couldn't help but feel a faint youki about it. A few feet from her was the prone form of Lord Shuzen, barely alive after the intense battle. She'd used the bandages on her ribs for him, as she tightly wrapped the gaping wound in his chest. Though she knew it was far from sufficient, she had no other alternatives at that juncture, which made his prospects very bleak.

She used her wand to illuminate the area around the statue. Though nothing seemed visibly unusual about it, she did notice something peculiar about the base. At that moment, the sound of footsteps came from down the hall. She looked to her right, and saw Yukari headed her away. "Ah, you've returned," she spoke up with a pleasant smile. "How's Moka-san?"

The small witch bowed her head in response. "Moka-san, is hurt pretty bad," she began gravely, "she seems to have amnesia, too."

Mikogami's assistant sighed heavily at the less than pleasant news. "What of Pfaria-san?"

"I don't know, I hope Moka-san can save her, somehow."

The dark-haired woman somberly bowed her head and closed her eyes, as she tightly intertwined her slender fingers together.

"Ruby-san," the brunette spoke up, "what are you doing, desu?"

The taller witch was quickly broken out of her train of thought. "There's something odd about this statue, look down here," she explained, as she pointed her wand towards the base.

Yukari bent her knees, and looked in the aforementioned direction. As did she, she finally noticed the discrepancy. "Aha! I see now, this thing moves, desu!"

"How can you tell," Kurumu asked with a strange look.

"Just look down there," she replied, and pointed towards the floor next to the statue.

The cyan-haired girl looked where directed, and saw scrape marks along the floor, revealed by the light of Ruby's wand.

"See," Yukari continued, her chin lifted up in pride, "so you can have the honor of pushing it."

"Why don't _you_ do it, smarty pants," Kurumu asked with an annoyed tone.

"Because I'm just a little girl, I can't possibly move this heavy statue. This job definitely calls for a stronger individual, like yourself. I believe in you, desu," she replied with a mischievous smile.

"Oh _now_ you believe in me," the incognito succubus replied irritably, as she leaned over with her hands on her hips, which elicited a giggle from her classmate. The incognito succubus looked suspiciously at the statue, went over to its right and pushed against it. Once she did, she realized the base wasn't stationary, which proved Yukari's theory was correct. She'd gotten it over two feet forward when a previously unseen weight fell upon her. Though it was unusually cold, it also felt suspiciously like a body. Fortunately, with her superhuman strength, she was able to maintain her balance. She looked to her left, and saw a familiar and clearly unconscious pale face, framed by messy purple hair, which caused her to gasp fearfully. "Mizore-chan!"

* * *

The battle outside the castle raged on. Akasha and Fuhai focused on the larger and more powerful enemies, while the Dark Lord's underlings battled against the smaller enemies, armed with mythril blades and firearms which were deadly against undead. Though a sizable portion of the enemy contingent had already been defeated, many of the stronger adversaries continued to fight, which unfortunately included the wounded yet still conscious dragon.

The youjutsu master focused on another towering knight, as several other smaller soldiers moved in to defend it. "Oh, and you think forming a protective wall will stop me," the daiyoukai asked, amused by their strategy, "think again!" He raised his right hand high overhead, as his motions created an afterimage. "_**HOUGETSU JIGENTOU!**_" He brought his hand down in a chopping motion, and a wave of fierce energy rushed forth, cleaving a track through the barren ground as it went. It cut right through the smaller knights, whose shields failed miserably to stop the oncoming attack. But when it neared the enormous soldier, it brought its own shield into position. The energy wave slammed full force into the shield, and then instantly dissipated without leaving so much as a scratch.

Fuhai Touhou's eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped like a stone. "You gotta be kidding me!" he declared in disbelief as he waved his hands expressively in the air. "That was my most powerful and awesome attack there's no way that buckethead should've been able to block it!" Without warning, the gigantic knight's shield shot forth, coupled with a metallic clinking sound. The Second Dark Lord barely had time to put his arms up in a crossing block before the huge spiked shield struck him. Taken off guard, he was knocked back eight feet, tumbled back repeatedly but then used his momentum to regain his footing.

"Fuhai!" Akasha called out, shocked that he'd taken a surprise attack. Suddenly, she felt a colossal killing intent behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and saw another of the gigantic knights had somehow gotten behind her, its sword raised overhead. She quickly dived and tumbled forward as the enemy's huge blade came crashing down on her previous position. She quickly got to her feet and charged towards her opponent, who was suddenly bathed in a strange ghostly blue aura. "Like that'll stop me!" the Shinso declared, as she rushed past the huge warrior and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to the back of its armored leg. Unfortunately, instead of knocking the knight off its feet, a hollow metallic banging sound was heard, coupled with a morbid looking face shaped like a shield, which appeared where she'd struck. She stood dumbfounded for a moment, flabbergasted that her attack had been negated. She moved in and attacked at several different angles, faster than the cumbersome knight could've possibly defended on his own, but each time her kicks were blocked in the same manner, which truly began to infuriate her.

At that moment, the sound of clacking bones reached her ears. She spun around, and saw one of the giant skeletons had gotten within striking range and raised its huge battleaxe overhead. The taiyoukai deftly moved aside as the bladed weapon came down, placed her hand upon the blunt edge, and launched herself upwards. She drilled her foot right under the armored skeleton's chin, which sent it flying back eighty feet, and it smashed into a gigantic knight and broke into pieces. She then took hold of the huge axe that was still embedded in the ground, extracted the bladed weapon, and then swung it into the huge knight's knees. Unfortunately, it's protective aura was still active, so the attack was again rendered ineffective.

"Kill them, mine faithful servants!" the black-robed figure called out from his vantage point. "Let not these infidels trifle with our dark master!" He waved his hands overhead in a grandiose gesture, and a malefic black aura surrounded the Chinese daiyoukai. From the aura appeared thirty more armored knights, each armed with round shields and great swords. Even worse, several of the remaining knights, along with various zombies and skeletons, began to converge on the surrounded Fuhai.

"Ha! You think you're gonna win this with strength of numbers," the unamused Dark Lord asked with a perturbed scowl. "Who do you think I am?" he asked angrily, as a pillar of his immense youki erupted from all around him, which exuded a towering murderous intent. "Let me demonstrate the power of the world's greatest youjutsu master!" As the enemies continued to converge on him, he concentrated his demonic power, and pressed the tips of his thumbs, index and middle fingers together. Once he did, an enormous glowing circular symbol appeared around him. It had two outer layers, each with Chinese symbols within, and the yin yang insignia in the very center. "Try this out, my Engokujin!" He leaped high into the air, and away from the sigil, which began to glow an ominous shade of red. "Time to light the big one!" The symbol erupted in a huge explosion of searing flame, which incinerated all the enemies trapped within.

Fuhai continued to fly back, pleased that his attack had decimated its intended targets. Suddenly, the sound of whooshing air came from both sides. He quickly glanced to his flanks, and saw a pair of harpies were headed straight towards him. Once they got within range, he kicked his legs out to both sides, which sent his opponents hurtling helplessly through.

The Second Dark Lord deftly landed on his feet, and slid his hands into his long sleeves, a satisfied smirk on his deceptively young features. Suddenly, the ground began shuddering, as the sound of massive hurried footsteps headed right towards him. He looked ahead, and from the pillar of fire emerged the wounded dragon, who charged at him with reckless abandon. He quickly got into a readied stance, prepared for the oncoming enemy. However, before it got any further, it reared its huge head back, roared for no obvious reason, and then toppled hard onto the ground. "What in the world," the Chinese daiyoukai asked in confusion, startled that the dragon was apparently tripped.

"You're not going anywhere," a female voice spoke sternly from behind the massive beast.

Fuhai quickly moved around, and saw a familiar woman behind the dragon, clutching tightly onto the end of its tail, as she radiated a nigh incomprehensible demonic aura. "Akasha," he asked in surprise, shocked that she, or any being for that matter, could've possessed the necessary strength to have corralled the charging monster.

"You sickening beasts and your abhorrent master have caused me no end of grief," she began angrily, as a seething black aura surrounded her. She flew up ten feet into the air, as she still held the dragon's tail. She pulled up on it with an exerted growl, which actually lifted the comparatively colossal beast off the ground, hurled it overhead and then slammed it behind her, which made the earth shudder violently. "You tore apart my family and tried to destroy all our dreams!" She lifted the huge reptilian monster into the air again and slammed it mercilessly onto the ground again, and it screamed in excruciating pain, as its entire being was jarred from the crushing impact. "And now you and Tepes think you're gonna plunge our precious world into eternal darkness?" She hurled the dragon up with her aura-enhanced strength, lifted it up and then swung it over her head. "I saw it happen once before," she proclaimed as she continued her unbelievable motions, "but _**NEVER AGAIN!**_" she screamed at the top of her lungs, and smashed the huge draconic beast onto the barren ground, which shook violently for several long seconds.

"No way!" Fuhai exclaimed, completely taken back by the scene before him. Though he was very knowledgeable about the incomparable powers of vampires, what he'd just seen far surpassed anything from the legends, save for Dracula himself. Suddenly, a jarring impact came from his right, which caused him to stumble slightly but he retained his balance. He promptly retaliated with a crushing side kick, which connected with hard metal. He looked to his right, and watched as an armored knight collapsed onto the ground. "Ha! That's what you get for trying to blindside me, idiot!" he quipped at his fallen adversary.

Akasha released her opponent and landed gracefully on the ground. Suddenly, the dragon's tail lashed out, and knocked the ancient vampire away. She collided with the barren earth, surprised but not badly hurt. As she sat up, she saw her huge enemy had slowly regained its footing, and lumbered around in her direction. Once it caught sight of her, it unleashed a murderous roar of infinite hate and malice, coupled with a fierce blazing aura. It then reared its head back, and began to inhale deeply.

"_**AKASHA!**_" the Second Dark Lord screamed towards her. "_**GET OUT OF THERE!**_"

The white-haired woman rose to her feet, and noticed her enemy's next move, a nonplussed expression on her pale face. She then formed a knifehand, and lashed out to her right side. "Too slow." She then flew towards the still inhaling dragon, reared back with her right hand and then plunged it straight through her opponent's thick scales and into it's heart. The reptilian beast screamed in agony at the unexpected attack. Akasha extracted her arm, and a stream of burning blood erupted from the wound she'd inflicted. While she remained in the air, she motioned forth with her right arm and opened her fanged mouth wide. Once she did, the rushing crimson flow was channeled towards her and flew right down her throat. The searing dragon blood would've proven difficult to digest for other vampires, but for the legendary Shinso, the intense heat wasn't an issue. If anything, she found it made the blood even more delectable. The familiar euphoria came over her in an immense wave, not just because she was feeding from a legendary beast, but because she also hadn't fed in a few days, so it was especially needed, as well as appreciated. Akasha moaned in sensual delight, as she felt her entire existence being rejuvenated by her meal. An ebony and crimson aura surrounded her exquisite form, as her moans took on a dual quality.

"[Big Boss,]" Chang called out to his leader, "[what the hecht's going on here?]"

"[Is she really drinking a dragon's blood,]" Lee interjected in his native tongue. "[Man, and I thought Lady Miu was scary.]"

Fuhai took in their comments, and was tempted to agree. Even though he knew his mafia rival was indeed a formidable opponent, he also knew not even she was capable of what he'd just witnessed from Issa Shuzen's ex-wife, which far surpassed anything his former comrade had demonstrated. "What's going on here," he asked himself fearfully, as he watched her physique pulsating as she continued to feed. Moreover, he felt the energy within her, and couldn't help but tremble. "This aura, it feels just like Dracula's! Akasha, what are you?"

The hovering vampire lowered her hand, and the rushing blood limply ran down the dragon's mortally wounded torso. Satisfied with her meal, and leaned her head back, and emitted a hissing exhale of rapturous ecstasy. Her dress had become rather tight, both from the intense battle as well as her feeding, but at that juncture she didn't care, as she merely exulted from the overflowing energy within her. "**Such a tantalizing treat,**" she spoke in a truly demonic voice, "**it's a pity I shan't feast on its like again.**" She hummed lovingly, as she wrapped her toned arms around her washboard abdomen. She then raised them up under her ample breasts, pushed them slightly upwards and then raised her arms high overhead, as she arched her back and stretched her arms behind her head. "**It's the best meal I've had in centuries, I suppose I should thank you for offering your succulent blood to me.**"

The dying beast desperately lunged with its fangs, which were aimed at the inhuman being before it. The white-haired woman merely glided back a few inches, and swatted its maw away with a single hand. "**What, you still want more,**" she asked of her adversary, a wry smirk on her ageless features. "**Amusing, but futile.**" She spun around and delivered a devastating reverse roundhouse kick, which made it stumble about in a couple of circles, and continued until it faced completely away from her. She then flew straight up into the air, dived back towards her her enemy, tumbled forward and then drilled both feet into the back of its huge skull. The titanic force of her attack drove it face first into the ground, which shuddered for several moments from the tremendous impact.

Akasha skipped off its crushed cranium and landed a few feet away, as her youki manifested around her in a vast ebony and crimson aura. "**Not even a mighty wyrm will stand between me and my children,**" she declared boldly, as she glanced over her shoulder towards the dead beast. "**Know your ****place.**"

Unsurprisingly, the defeated creature made no response. Fuhai and his men were stunned silent, and many of remaining creatures seemed confused, as none of them approached the ancient countess. Even the towering knights and skeletons were reluctant to have targeted the white-haired woman, who inhaled deeply of the fear that was exuded.

At that moment, an orb of fiery energy, slightly larger than a man's fist, emerged from the dragon's corpse. The sphere immediately streaked towards Akasha, who turned towards the oncoming orb. It drew close to the legendary Shinso, encircled her body five times and then plunged straight into her chest. The godlike youkai cried out in surprise, as the orb's energy began to saturate her body, which glowed with an aura similar to the sphere. After a few moments, the energy subsided, and Akasha solemnly bowed her head, and pressed her right fist into her chest.

Fuhai stood in open-mouthed horror at what he'd just witnessed. "This, this cannot be," he spoke incredulously. "How can she have, _that_ power?"

The white-haired woman quickly regained her composure, and then turned towards the black-robed being, who warily guarded the barrier. Her crimson irises, which seemed to glow with the flames of Hell itself, bored into her adversary as she slowly approached him. The hovering figure shielded his cowled face with his long sleeves, clearly afraid of the oncoming taiyoukai. He then looked back towards the barrier with a startled hiss, and then emitted an aggravated exhale, as his thin hands tightly clenched into fists. He then turned back to Akasha with his glowing red eyes, floated back towards the barrier, passed through it like a specter, and vanished from sight.

"**Where are you-**" the Shinso began, and then found herself able to scry past the barrier and into the castle. She soon detected the presence of both her daughters, with the elder child barely alive, and a horrifying thought came to her. "**Moka!**" she cried out, aghast of what her enemy had planned for her. "**Oh, no you don't,**" she declared menacingly, as murderous intent began to swell within her, "**no you **_**DON'T!**_" she screamed, and then her aura flared viciously, and incinerated any nearby enemies, along with the dragon's corpse. Moreover, she grew another foot in stature, and her expanding physique burst free of her confining black dress, which left her in her bra, panties, and stockings. She immediately flew towards the barrier with a bloodthirsty scream, bathed in her satanic aura. She then unleashed an immeasurably powerful kick, which collided against the barrier and unleashed a shockwave that blew back against everything behind her, which included the Second Dark Lord and his cohorts. The huge black dome shattered into pieces, which collapsed all around the castle as well as Akasha. Once the way forward was clear, she streaked forward and unleashed a unimaginably powerful punch to the towering front gates, which were ripped from their hinges like paper, and continued into the castle.

Fuhai looked on in disbelief, thunderstruck by what he'd just seen. Never did he imagine the former Lady Shuzen possessed such earth-shattering power, which transcended that of Issa. The thought of his old comrade quickly brought him back to his senses, as he remembered the reason he'd come to the isolated stronghold before him. "[Don't just stand there!]" he snapped at his subordinates in his native tongue. "[Head into the castle, pronto!]"

"[But what but those guys, Big Boss,]" Chang asked nervously, as he pointed to the remaining enemies.

"[Forget them! We need to find Issa, now! All of you, follow me!]" He raced towards the castle with his superhuman speed, with his underlings in hot pursuit.

* * *

Pfaria looked up with her one good eye from her vantage point, barely alive after the savage battle. Her pained breathing came in short spurts, as she found herself unable to move after she'd fallen from the floor above. Her surroundings looked blurred to her, and seemed filtered through a crimson haze. The lack of light made the area appear even more bleak. She also couldn't sense the aura of anyone nearby, which saddened her greatly.

"What happened," she asked weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is this, really the end? How did it, come to this?" Her heart felt empty and unfulfilled, and she barely had the strength to have kept her eye open. "No, I don't want to... die like this. Not all alone!" Her head fell to the side, as tears ran down her battered cheeks. "I can't believe... it was all... for nothing." A dejected sigh escaped her bloodied lips, as she saw no reason to live.

"Aneue!" a little girl's voice wailed from nearby.

Pfaria gasped lightly, broken out of her morose stupor. She barely managed to lift her head off the floor and move it to the left. Once she did, she saw the blurred image of a small figure headed her way. As it knelt down by her side, the eldest sister could've barely discerned it as a young girl, clad in a familiar black dress held up by two thin straps. Her innocent face was wrought with overwhelming sadness, and her silver hair fell past her shoulders and over the prone woman's form. The fallen vampire's good eye widened as she recognized, albeit barely, the little girl before her. "Moka," she asked weakly.

"Aneue," the child implored with tears in her crimson irises, "please don't die! You mustn't die!"

A weary sigh came from the defeated daiyoukai. "What's the point," she asked the newcomer. "My life, has no meaning now. No one will miss me, once I'm gone."

"That's not true!" the younger sister retorted desperately. "Aneue, you mustn't! You're a vampire, you're not supposed to die!"

"How can you still say that," the fallen princess asked bitterly. "That old bastard _killed _you in case you forgot!" She coughed painfully, insulted by her sibling's outrageous claims. "Even in death, you _still_ believe that nonsense? Why, what hold does he have on you?"

Moka sniffled in response, and sadly blinked her grieving eyes. "But I'm not dead."

"Don't humor me," Pfaria blandly retorted, and would've gone further had the small girl not placed her fingers on her lips.

"It's true," the silver-haired child spoke softly. "I admit, I really did want to die. After I spoke, his name, I felt so, worthless. I made everyone so angry. And Chichiu-e," she went on, as the anguish on her young face grew. "Chichiu-e!" she cried out, right before she broke into a fit of near bawling. "He hurt me, he hurt me so badly! I just wanted to disappear forever, so I couldn't hurt anyone else!" She bowed her head, and gave it a thorough shake. "I actually wished, I could be someone else, someone who was warm and understanding, someone who could have lots of friends, someone who didn't try to be perfect, or cause trouble for anyone!"

The defeated sister's good eye went wide, as she began to mentally put the pieces together.

"Chichiu-e cast me into the dungeon after that," the despondent girl continued, still visibly distressed by the painful memory. "And as I laid there, I found, there was someone else, right here," she went on, as her small hand went to her heart. "I was scared at first, even more so when Chichiu-e came back. He'd found out about, the other me, and I didn't know what he'd do!" she exclaimed fearfully, as her hand balled up into a fist.

A blank look appeared on Pfaria's battered face, as she realized she'd never considered the possibility her sister was still alive.

"After a while," the younger princess continued, "he brought me to his inner chambers. He told me I'd have to be exiled and sealed away, so no one would discover I was still alive. And he gave me this," she explained, as she motioned to her chest.

The fallen woman looked up, and saw a silver cross where the girl had indicated, which shocked her to no end, and not just because it hadn't been there before.

"He said it would allow the other me to manifest, but I would be cast into a dark place, unable to interact with anyone. But considering what I'd done," she continued bitterly, as she folded her arms under her chest, "that was fine by me."

"That was not your fault," Pfaria said weakly, as she finally found her voice, "the Council, set you up! They used you to get at, our mother," she finished, as tears streamed to her eyes. "_Oh my gosh,_" she thought to herself, "_what have I been doing all this time?_"

"Aneue," the small girl asked with a confused look.

The defeated daiyoukai was stunned silent, as the truth finally dawned on her. Once it did, she looked back upon on recently concluded battle, and found herself all but completely crushed by grief. "Moka-chan," she spoke in a small voice, heavily saturated with guilt, as she slowly raised her hand towards the girl's face. Once it rested upon her cheek, her image became blurry, as did the entire room. The psychedelic display continued for several seconds, and once it was finished, the crimson haze was gone, and before her was the immense form of her opponent, with the same despondent look on her badly bruised and swollen face. "Moka-chan?"

"**Aneue!**" the powerful woman cried out, as she instinctively wrapped her long arms around Pfaria and held her tightly against her well-developed frame. "**Oh Aneue, I'm so glad you can recognize me! I was afraid I'd lost you, along with Chichiu-e. Please, Pfaria-aneue, don't leave me all alone again!**"

The eldest sister was thunderstruck, as she finally saw the frightened little girl trapped inside the muscular woman's body. "Moka-chan, what have I done?"

"**It's not your fault,**" the aggrieved princess asserted. "**I'm not mad that you didn't recognize me, I, don't even recognize myself now,**" she finished, as she gave her head a rueful shake. Before her sibling could've responded, she lifted her slightly off the floor, and rested her despondent head on her shoulder. "**I'm sorry, Aneue, I didn't even try to understand your feelings. I thought Chichi-ue's teachings were, perfect. I thought, he was perfect.**" She shivered in shame and remorse as she continued to hold her barely alive sister. "**He said, his was the path, to eternal prosperity and absolute power.**"

Pfaria groaned in chagrin, as she was very knowledgeable of her father's ideology.

"**But, this **_**can't**_ **be the right path!**" Moka exclaimed sadly as she looked into her sibling's eyes. "**It can't be! Oh Aneue, how could I have been so wrong?**" She mournfully bowed her head, as her tears streaked her bruised cheeks. "**What have I been fighting for?**"

The silver-haired woman sighed in remorse, as she felt the agony in her lost sister's heart. She then tightened her embrace, ashamed that she'd nearly killed her own relative. "Moka-chan," she spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"**Aneue,**" the distraught princess spoke worriedly as she held her sibling's shoulders, "**hold still, I'll use my blood to heal you.**"

"No."

Moka's good eye went wide, as she was thunderstruck by what she'd just heard. "**What,**" she asked incredulously.

"Moka-chan," the eldest sister replied urgently in her hoarse voice, "leave me."

"**What are you saying,**" the teenager asked in disbelief. "**Aneue, I just got you back, I don't want to lose you again!**"

"You must!" Pfaria insisted as she grit her teeth together. "Now that the old man is dead, the Council will come, looking for answers. If they find you here, they'll kill you. They'll kill all your friends." Her head fell to the side, as her felt her life-force waning. "And they'll kill... Haha-ue."

"**Aneue, no!**" the younger vampire cried out in desperation.

"Oh Haha-ue," the dying woman muttered, all but incoherent at that juncture, "why didn't you stop them? You had... the power." She knew her sister was crying out to her, pleading for her survival, but her words seemed like noise. Even though she didn't want to break her sister's heart again, she saw little recourse in the matter. She'd begun to close her eyes, when a strange figure came into view behind Moka. The stranger stopped short, and raised it right hand, which held a large and familiar weapon. Pfaria gasped in shock, and used her remaining strength to hurl herself and her sister to the side, as a thundering gunshot resounded.

* * *

Moka was taken off-guard as her sister rolled her to the side. Though initially confused, the powerful discharge answered her questions. Once she finally stopped, she looked back to her former position, and saw a smoking hole in the floor. She then looked beside her, and saw Pfaria limply on her side. "**Aneue!**" she cried out, as she desperately reached out to check her sister's pulse. But before she could've reached her, a harsh metallic click was heard. With a frightened look, she slowly raised her head, and saw a wounded woman ten feet from her, clad in a bloodstained ivory gown. Her gloved hand was placed upon the middle of her chest, while her right hand held a large gun, aimed right at the teenager. "**Neesan, what are you doing,**" Moka asked, terrified by both the newcomer and the weapon in her trembling hand.

"I must... terminate... the vampire hunter," Kahlua replied weakly, intense physical and emotional anguish present on her tanned face, "along with you, Moka-chan."

"**Wh-what,**" the third-born daughter asked with a thunderstruck look. "**No! Neesan, you- you can't do this!**"

"It is not... our place... to question... the will of the Council." The blonde woman pointed her gun at the prone Pfaria, her legs threatening to buckle at any moment. "That woman... is the last member... of the Bleeding Bat vampire hunter's guild. She has murdered... countless number of us. Even worse... she has murdered... the daughter of Lord Taurnov. Her crimes... cannot be ignored!" she declared weakly, her lips trembling all the while.

"**Ivana,**" Moka asked, mortified by what she's just heard. "**No, you're wrong! Aneue, loves her friends! She loves her family! She- she's not a typical vampire that cares only about pride!**" she wailed at the top of her lungs.

"Shut up!" Kahlua snapped, an uncharacteristic harshness in her voice, which startled the stricken girl. "Don't talk to me about love or family, not when you have Chichi-ue's blood on your hands!"

The frightened princess collapsed onto her side, as she felt like she'd already been shot, right through the heart. "**But, but I-**" she protested weakly, as she desperately held out her right arm. "**I didn't mean to- I was trying to save-**" She looked to her outstretched arm, and saw it was the same arm that impaled both her father and her older sister. She lowered her limb, as her grief seemed to grow exponentially.

"Haha-ue warned me... this would happen," the second-born daughter of the Dark Lord revealed as she sadly closed her eyes, no hint of pride in her voice. "She warned me... that one day... you would turn against us... and lead us... to ruin. And should it come... it would be my duty... to terminate you." A light sniffle escaped her, as more tears ran from her eyes. "And now... it seems... she was right."

"**Neesan!**" Moka retorted, shocked by what she'd heard. "**You- you were plotting against me all this time?**" She lowered her grieving head, "**Did... you... ever... love me?**"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Kahlua replied as she looked away, and solemnly closed her grieving eyes. "Now that Chichiu-e is dead, nothing matters." She looked back to her stricken sister, and aimed her huge handgun at her sister's head, a blank expression on her tanned face. "Goodbye, Moka."

Suddenly, a powerful demonic aura appeared within the room, and seemed to surround the three sisters. The blonde woman looked about in confusion, as did her younger sibling.

"Such touching melodrama," a sinister echoing voice spoke out of thin air, "the Bard himself would be impressed. However," it continued, as two huge red eyes appeared before the gravely wounded assassin, "I cannot allow you to remove these two players from the stage. Time to take your bow." They glowed malevolently, and an immense release of youki was felt by Moka, which rivaled that of her father. She saw Kahlua's own eyes glow red, then became distant as she began to collapse, and the bloodied gun fell from her hand. But before her body hit the floor, it strangely stopped midway, and was levitated into a complete horizontal position.

"**Neesan!**" the barely alive princess called out, as she weakly reached out to her incapacitated sibling. "**Let her go!**"

"Are you serious, my dear," the voice asked with mild intrigue as the two glowing eyes turned towards Moka. "You do realize she was about to kill you, I just couldn't have that. After that, Lord Dracula has such grandiose plans for-"

Before it could've elaborated further, a seemingly infinite demonic aura manifested from further down the hall, and headed towards them at incredible speed. The wounded daiyoukai actually trembled, as it clearly surpassed the aura of her sire, whom she thought was the most powerful vampire in the world.

"**No!**" the sinister presence declared, and then the two glowing crimson orbs disappeared, along with Kahlua.

Before Moka could've cried out, a blazing ebony aura flew towards her, as pieces of the floor shot up into the air, and a huge black scorch mark was carved behind it. The aura stopped before her, and she saw a towering woman within it, clad in only her undergarments. The youki she exuded far exceeded that of any other being the princess had ever encountered. Though her ivory hair and glowing red eyes identified her as a vampire, her aura dwarfed all others of her kind, as it seemed to belong to the long-forgotten taiyoukai of legend. The newcomer immediately scanned the area, a look of seemingly limitless rage on her pale face. She then emitted a blood-curdling scream of satanic fury, as her aura blazed like a humongous dark inferno. The wounded princess was insanely terrified of the newcomer, whose presence felt frighteningly similar to the fiend she'd seen at her seventh birthday party, and tried to back away in fear.

The dark goddess gasped as she saw the gravely injured girl on the floor. "**Moka!**" she declared with an aghast look, and then landed on the floor, as her blazing aura disappeared. "**Moka, I'm so sorry,**" she spoke in a dual voice, though it contrasted with the deeply concerned look on her face. "**You're the last person I ever wanted to frighten.**"

The former academy student gasped at the strange woman's sudden change in demeanor, unsure about what to have expected. After a moment, she looked into the newcomer's red eyes, and though she was still frightened by the terrifying power behind them, she also felt a soothing energy, with sought to wash away all her fears and anxieties. And she knew of only one person whose loving gaze had such an effect on her. "Haha-ue**,**" she asked nervously, not entirely certain of the woman's identity.

"**Yes, Moka. I'm sorry I took so long, but I'm here now. And I won't fail you again.**"

The transformed vampire felt her cheeks heat up, as tears ran from her good eye. "Haha-ue**,**" she replied, elated to have finally seen her mother again, with her own eyes.

Akasha knelt down beside her daughter, and briefly examined her body of her daughter. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a leather article bound to Moka's leg. "**Is that, Leonard's whip,**" she asked, as she blinked in confusion and disbelief. She curiously reached out to touch the ancient weapon, and was greeted with white crackles of energy. She pulled her hand back slightly, as an amused look crossed her pale features. "**So, you still remember me,**" she replied, her blood red lips stretched into a smirk, "**I'm touched.**"

The third-born daughter looked to her blankly, shocked that she knew of the whip.

The elder vampire's smirk quickly faded, as she sniffed the air a few times. She looked over to her daughter's right arm, and inhaled deeply. She tightly knit her eyebrows together, and drew her lips together. She then looked past her daughter, and saw the inert body of Pfaria behind her. She then turned her attention back to her younger child, who quivered under her intense stare. "**Moka,**" she began in a stern, expectant voice, "**is this there something you'd like to tell me?**"

The former academy sophomore slid against her sister's prone form, as she found herself paralyzed by her mother's gaze, which bored right into her guilty soul. "Haha-ue**,**" she began in a small timid voice, which contrasted with her visibly imposing shape, "**I-**" Suddenly, a previously unseen arm wrapped around her shoulders, and pulled her to the side. The next thing she felt was a piercing pain in her neck, along with an immeasurable sense of guilt. She looked to her left, and out of the corner of her good eye she saw a head of limp silver hair. And though it concealed the individual's features, the younger princess wholeheartedly knew her identity. "**Aneue,**" she exclaimed in an appalled voice.

"**Pfaria, stop!**" Akasha spoke sharply as she came to her side. "**You're in no condition for that!**"

"_It doesn't matter now,_" the eldest sister's voice spoke, which the daiyoukai heard within her mind. "_Now that I've betrayed you and Moka, I don't deserve to live._"

"**Don't say that!**" The elder vampire soon had tears in her own eyes as she regarded her child. "**Darling, don't do this. Don't throw your life away, it's the only one you have.**"

"**Aneue, stop, I don't want this!**" Moka pleaded, as she felt her sister's blood being injected into her body. "**Aneue, please, don't leave me all alone!**" she all but wailed, as she struggled to free herself from her relative's grip.

"_I already did, nine years ago. Don't resist, this is all I can do for you now._"

Akasha knelt down beside her eldest child, and placed her hand on her shoulder. "**Pfaria, please,**" she implored longingly, visibly aghast at what was occurring before her.

"Haha-ue_,_" the eldest sister's voice spoke mentally, "_get her out of here. Now that the old man is dead, the Council will be here soon. Hurry!_"

The elder vampire glared at her daughter, incensed at what she'd just heard. "**You didn't! Pfaria Shuzen, what on earth were you thinking?**"

"_It doesn't matter now, nothing matters._" There was a long pause, and her grip on Moka weakened. "_Goodbye, Haha-ue. Goodbye... Moka..._" After that, her mental voice became silent, and her mortally wounded body fell limply against the floor.

The third-born daughter of the Dark Lord cried out as her sister's fangs pulled out of her neck. As she instinctively covered her wound, she looked beside her, and saw a lifeless expression on her former opponent's pale face, her mouth stained with blood. She looked down upon her, and quickly saw she wasn't breathing. She also couldn't heart her heartbeat, which meant only one thing. "**No,**" Moka sobbed, more broken than she'd ever been in her short life, "**no.**" She instinctively reached down, grabbed her sister's dead body and held her tightly against her chest. "_**ANEUEEEEEEEEEEE!**_" she screamed to the heavens above the castle, as her tears flowed like rapids from her aggrieved eyes. Once her anguished cries died down, she found her own energy all but exhausted and she collapsed atop her sister, as her eyes slowly closed.

"_**MOKA!**_" her mother's voice cried out in horror, though she was too weak to have responded.

"Aneue," she spoke in a barely audible voice as darkness overtook her.

* * *

The blood-colored sky hung solemnly over the ruins of Youkai Academy, as the sounds of the night echoed throughout the area, the only sounds within the nigh desolate region. Small slivers of faint green light were visible over the eastern horizon.

The nighttime air seemed to coalesce just outside the entrance to the academy building, as an incalculable amount of demonic power was felt. The phenomenon divided into three separate forms, each concealed by the night. A split second later, three figures appeared outside the academy, two woman and one man, each with grave and tired expressions on their faces. Each looked up at the ruins of Youkai Academy, and a somber moment was shared by all three members.

The only male looked to the shorter woman, who was clad in a long black skirt and a pink corset. "I thank you for coming with us, Toujyou-san," he began urbanely. "Your help is most appreciated."

"It is the least I could do, Touhou-sama," the dark-haired woman replied with a courteous. "Mikogami-sama entrusted me with protecting the barrier, I must do what I can now to insure its preservation."

The Second Dark Lord returned her nod. He glanced towards his other companion, whose pale countenance was downcast. Though she said nothing, the ancient youjutsu master could've felt the immense sadness within her, and knew well the reason.

"Touhou-sama," Ruby spoke up with a worried look, which got his attention, "will Moka-san and Shuzen-sama be alright?"

The tall man groaned to himself, and slid his hands into his sleeves. "Were it not for this, I would've never left their side. My men and I have done what we could, but they're both in critical condition. Their fates are in their hands now."

"What made you think to bring those coffins," the other woman asked, a light twinge of bitterness in her voice.

Fuhai groaned to himself and lightly shook his head. "I was simply prepared for the worst. I knew if Issa was under attack, there would've been casualties. Though I'd hoped they wouldn't be necessary." He looked back to his companion, empathy in his dark eyes. "Trust me, Akasha, I know what it's like to bury your own flesh and blood."

The white-haired woman gasped lightly, and opened her crimson irises in shock.

The Second Dark Lord looked at her for a moment, then turned to the eastern sky with a perturbed frown. "But there's no time to discuss this further, it'll be dawn soon." He then turned to the youngest of the group. "Toujyou-san, lead us to the Altar of Everlasting Darkness."

"Hai."

The trio entered the abandoned the academy building, and made their way down into the basement. Once there, the witch paused before a seemingly nondescript wall, and placed her hand upon it. Her hand glowed with a soft lavender aura, and the wall slid back, and raised into the ceiling, which revealed a long stairwell that descended deeper.

They continued down the stairs until they reached the bottom. They found themselves on an elevated landing, with an eerie emerald glow just ahead, and a single stairwell that proceeded downwards. Ruby led the way downstairs, and they saw a mystic apparatus ahead of them, surrounded by several glowing runes which revolved around it.

At that moment, the air shimmered ahead of them, and from it appeared the translucent form of a mysterious figure clad in a long white robe, whose countenance was concealed by his upturned cowl. All three gasped at the apparition, their eyes wide in amazement.

"Mikogami-sama!" the dark-haired woman exclaimed in shock.

"Ah, you've come, Ruby-san," the spirit replied with a pleased and eerie smile, "I'm glad you could've fulfilled your duties at this most crucial hour."

"Anything for you and your dream," the witch replied with a reverent bow of her head, "my master."

"Mikogami," Fuhai spoke up with an awed look, "are you alive, or have you-" He paused in mid-sentence, afraid to have voiced his deepest fears.

"Who can say," the apparition replied with a light tilt of its head, "both have its advantages."

The youjutsu master groaned in chagrin, glad his great-great-granddaughter wasn't around to have verified the claim.

"Oh my, is that you, Akasha," the robed specter spoke to the third member of the party, "to think I'd see you in that form again."

The white-haired woman folded her arms under her ample chest, and turned away in a huff, as the hem of her long black dress flowed gracefully around her.

"Tell me, old friend," Mikogami asked of his fellow Dark Lord, "what became of Issa?"

Fuhai sighed gravely, as his shoulders slumped heavily. "The castle was attacked, he and his daughter are both clinging to life as we speak. I know I should still be there, though I can't overlook this."

"So she is acting in his stead, how very generous of you," he replied politely to the elder vampire, who continued to look away. Unfazed, he turned back to Fuhai. "We should be honored by her presence, to think someone of her stature would've come to aid." He turned back to the white-haired woman. "I thank you for your selflessness, Akasha Bloodriver, one of the three heroes of the Crimson Apocalypse."

The taiyoukai immediately turned her head with a sharp hiss and glared at the spirit. "How do you know of that," she demanded heatedly.

"My master relayed the tale of your heroics upon his return. Tis a pity you never graced our abode with your presence, the invitation was always open."

The elder vampire's eyes went wide, and her deadly fangs became visible as a rising murderous intent arose within her. "You worked for Tepes?" she demanded angrily. "I should rip out your large intestine and throttle you with it for this farce of yours!"

"And if I am no more, how will you accomplish this" Mikogami asked with a look of feigned innocence.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the white-haired woman growled through clenched teeth, as her glowing red eyes bored into the white orbs of the spirit before her. "I am a Shinso, not even death can save you from me!"

"Akasha, stop!" Fuhai called out as he stood between his temporary companion and his apparently deceased comrade. "There's no time for this, the barrier could fail at any moment!"

"He's right, Akasha-sama!" Ruby added desperately, as she tried not to tremble before the enraged countess. "Please, my master renounced that allegiance long ago, he truly does desire a world where humans and youkai live together, something Dracula abhorred."

The Shinso exhaled bitterly through her clenched teeth, as she kept her burning gaze on the robed specter before her. "You'd better give me a full explanation when this is all over," she spoke warningly as she pointed towards Mikogami.

"Consider it done," the apparition replied with a courteous nod. "Now then, have you a Rosario prepared?" I'm afraid without one, it shan't be possible to salvage the barrier."

Fuhai groaned to himself, and tightly bunched his shoulders together. "_Now_ they tell us," he grumbled under his breath. "what do they think this is, a game? There's no pause button in life, you know that, Saint Germain."

"Oh dear, this is most disturbing. I'm afraid that without a new Rosario, it shan't be possible to salvage the barrier."

Akasha looked to the spirit's assistant and the Second Dark Lord, both visibly disgruntled at the obstacle before them. She somberly closed her eyes, brought her hands together in a reverent manner, and concentrated her youki. A moment later, she held out her right hand, which held a small ring, with a miniature cross attached. "Will this do?"

"Oh my," the robed specter spoke with an impressed look, "you actually compressed it into such a tiny shape? Fascinating."

The youjutsu master peered at the artifact through his reading glasses with a dubious expression. "That'll never work, it's way too small!"

"It's powerful enough to constrain _my_ aura," Akasha explained, "once combined with its twin. Don't be so concerned about its size, buckethead," she concluded with scathing sarcasm as she glared at Fuhai.

"Who are you calling a buckethead!" the dark-haired daiyoukai shot back heatedly. "I am _perfectly_ sized I'll have you know!"

"Um, we really don't have time for this," the witch interjected with a chagrined look, as a sweatdrop ran down the back of her head. "We need to the replace the Rosario immediately."

"Indeed," Mikogami replied, as he walked up before his assistant. "Ruby, I need to use, your body."

Fuhai gave him a quizzical look, while the countess intently gazed at him, suspicion in her crimson irises.

"Yes, my master," Ruby replied reverently. "I am your instrument, use me as you see fit."

The chairman's spirit nodded sagely, and then walked into her physical form. He turned around and seemed to vanish. Suddenly, the witch closed her eyes and cried out in pain, as a glowing white aura surrounded her form. After a few moments, the aura subsided, as did the discomfort on Ruby's face. She relaxed her posture, and then opened her eyes, which glowed with an ivory aura.

"**Now Akasha,**" the figure spoke in Ruby's and Mikogami's intermixed voices, "**bring the Rosario before the apparatus.**"

The elder vampire walked up to the strange mystic structure, her cross ring in hand. With her slender fingers, she gently pried the cross from its base. Once she did, the possessed Ruby reached out and removed the old Rosario from its relief. No sooner than she did that it shattered in her touch.

Suddenly, an immense cracking sound was heard from outside, coupled with an ominous rumbling. Fuhai gasped as he immediately looked to the ceiling. "The barrier is failing!"

"**Quickly, Akasha!**" the witch spoke urgently. "**Place the Rosario in the relief!**"

The vampire did as instructed, and held it in place with her fingertip. No sooner than she did that the altar began to shake. Despite that, she maintained her position, and her hold on the small cross.

"What's going on here," the youjutsu master asked worriedly. "The barrier shouldn't be collapsing _this_ quickly!"

"**Time was decelerated around the Rosario,**" the possessed Ruby explained, as she moved her glowing hands around the edges of relief. "**And now that it's been removed, the flow of time is correcting itself.**"

"And **when** were you planning to tell us this?" Fuhai demanded in aggravation, as he closed the distance between himself and his old cohort. "I _really_ hate these last-minute surprises! I'm not as young as I used to be, you know!"

"Can it!" the countess snapped at him. "You're not solving anything with your bellyaching!"

The dark-haired man growled in aggravation, as he struggled to maintain his balance.

"Mikogami," the elder vampire spoke with a concerned look, "is there any way to salvage the barrier?"

"**It's too far gone to be salvaged, we'll have to remake it.**"

Akasha gave her a thunderstruck look. "Is that even possible," she asked, as the rumbling grew more intense.

"**It takes three powerful daiyoukai to create the Grand Barrier,**" Mikogami explained through Ruby's lips. "**All of our energy and passion must be channeled into the apparatus.** **Our hearts must be as one, without any misgivings about this undertaking. Only then will the barrier be born. We must act quickly, the academy will crash into the human world in a matter of moments!**"

"Hmph," the youjutsu master quipped, "so it's come to the last minute, has it?" He then rejoined his comrades by the apparatus. "Count me in! I'm not gonna let Dracula ruin all our hard work!"

"Nor will I," the taiyoukai added with a look of fierce determination. "We need to show Tepes his place!"

"_But Master,_" Ruby thought to the chairman, "_what'll happen to you?_"

"_Do not concern yourself, my child. Though I must warn you, this ceremony could very well end _your _life. Are you truly prepared for that?_"

"_Yes, Master._"

The First Dark Lord smiled with his assistant's lips, as a light wave of nostalgia passed over him. "**Then let us begin. Place your hands upon the apparatus and speak what is in your heart.**" He reached out with Ruby's hand and placed it upon the console. "**Upon this sacred altar, we pledge to create a new future, one free of the ghosts of the past!**" he chanted, as an ivory aura appeared around his servant's form.

"Let us move beyond the age of wars," Fuhai proclaimed, as he added his own hand and began to glow, "and bring about peace and understanding for all races!"

"So that our children will not have to live in fear," Akasha added with heartfelt conviction, as the memories of Moka and Pfaria flooded her consciousness, "as we have." She closed her eyes, and a tear ran down her cheek as she placed her hand atop her comrades' own and manifested her own demonic energy.

Mikogami screamed and unleashed his full power through Ruby, as a pillar of ivory energy surrounded her body. Fuhai responded in kind, and his long ebony hair shot up as a huge pillar of his youki enveloped him. Akasha screamed as she called forth her full might, which she hadn't done in centuries. A night black column of energy surrounded her, and she grew to her full height, which she hadn't done since the great battle Mikogami alluded to earlier. All three beams of youki twisted around one another and shot through the ceiling, through all of the academy floors, and into the sky above.

* * *

At the Aono residence, Kasumi was rudely awakened by a rumbling sound, as was her husband. She nearly fell out of bed, and then stumbled towards the nearest window. What she saw on the other side terrified her. It resembled the incident earlier in the week, when the sky seemed to crack. But in that instance, a huge fissure had opened up, and a large gothic structure began plummeting towards the ground, as all the windows in the house shattered, and furniture toppled over. Both Aonos stumbled onto the floor, and crawled towards one another.

"Kasumi," the man of the house called out over the rumbling as he reached towards his wife, "in case I'd hadn't said it recently, I want to know I've always loved you, and I always will."

"I love you, too," Tsukune's mother spoke warmly, as she looked into her spouse's eyes for what she feared was the last time, "my darling."

They held each other tightly, as the tremors grew more violent, as they braced for the seemingly inevitable impact. After a few moments, the trembling abated and then everything became still.

Both Aonos looked to one another, amazed they were still alive. They warily rose from the floor, and looked towards the broken window. When they peered outside, they saw the neighborhood was in disarray, but there was no sign of a collision, nor any evidence that the huge structure she saw even existed. "What, just happened," Kasumi asked curiously.

* * *

Back at the Altar of Everlasting Darkness, three bodies lied unconscious on the floor. Ruby was twitching where she laid, as wisps of smoke rose from her form. Fuhai had regressed to his elder form, completely exhausted after the long day's ordeal. Akasha lied on her side nearby, a nigh imperceptible smile on her exhausted face. "Sleep well, Moka," she spoke in her sleep, "I'll be back shortly."

At that moment, a familiar figure in blue stepped from the shadows, and looked down upon the unconscious trio, as a nasty chuckle escaped him. "Wow, you three really cut it close," he remarked with an amused smirk, "but it looks like the barrier's been reborn." He looked up with his glowing eyes past the ceiling. "Even better than ever, I'd say. Heh, could've used Akasha the first time around. Ah well, c'est la vie, and all that." He lit up his cigar, and look a long inhale. "I hope he's not too mad he was excluded, but time really wasn't on our side. Now, those girls can focus on saving the boy. Don't die on us now, ain't your time." He chuckled to himself as he took another puff.

* * *

Tsukune flew from the burning remains of his former home, incensed that the ersatz Moka had eluded him once again. Though he was still confused about how he'd managed to encounter himself, his primary concern was hunting down the sinister fiend who continued to mock his precious friend and then eradicating her disgusting existence, so she could've never bothered anyone else again with her annoying presence.

He suddenly stopped in midair, as he reflected upon his previous train of thought. He looked over his shoulder to where his house remained. When he did, he imagined his mother fainting in shock at his demeanor, which made him tremble in fear, and his raging aura became unstable. He then looked to his hands, and could've smelt the sweat upon them, which he found disturbing. "Why am I hesitating," he asked himself, vexed by his sudden dilemma. "That sickening wench doesn't deserve to live, all she does is destroy and desecrate, there should be no reason to spare her worthless life!" His hatred began to seethe anew, as he remembered the atrocities committed by the fiend who'd assumed Moka's visage. "You will not escape me!" he shouted to the skies, as his jet black aura blazed with renewed intensity. "I will find you, and then you shall burn in the flames of my vengeance!"

Suddenly, a familiar setting appeared in his mind, as he saw a huge throng of people before him, all leering at him in hatred. He soon remembered the scene, and he tightly grasped his head as he recalled his helplessness at that juncture.

"Behold, my fellow students!" a sinister voice proclaimed. "The fate of _**ALL HUMANITY!**_"

Tsukune screamed in pain as an intense burning sensation came over him. "No, _no, __**NO!**_" he cried out he desperately tried to will away the condemning memory, when he was nearly burned to death just for being human. Stricken by the agonizing moment in his life, he lost his ability to hover, and soon descended onto the ground, still tightly clutching his head. "I'm not like him," he uttered through his pain, "I'm not! He was going to destroy all my friends, destroy everything I loved! I needed this power in order to stop him, and _all_ like him! I need it, to _**SAVE MOKA-SAN!**_" he cried out in anguish, as he strove the will away the pain and the memory of his attempted execution. After several agonizing moments, the torment finally ceased, and he collapsed to his knees.

He remained on his knees for several seconds, heavily exerted from his mental order. "I'll never become like you," he said in between labored breaths, "Kuyou. I'll crush you and anyone else who dares threaten us. I won't let you, destroy all our dreams." He inhaled sharply, as he recollected on the series of events he thought he'd experienced; the attack on the academy and his battle against the three warriors, his disturbingly unpleasant meeting with Moka, the attack on his house when he met himself, and the futile pursuit of the false Moka, who'd feasted on Kyouko's blood. As he did, he realized he'd never paused to consider what was occurring, he simply acted in accordance to his surroundings. And when he finally decided to put the pieces together, he came to a very mortifying yet undeniable conclusion. "A dream," he said to himself, "this is all a dream." He groaned in the most embarrassing of chagrin, discouraged that he hadn't realized it sooner. "But, if this _is_ a dream, why can't I wake up?"

"**I won't let you,**" a malefic voice spoke, which echoed all around the beleaguered youth.

Tsukune gasped to himself, and instantly shot to his feet. "Dracula!" he called out. "Come out and face me!"

"**Or else what,**" the satanic presence replied with a bemused tone, "**what will you do if I refuse? What **_**can**_ **you do,**" it asked mockingly.

"I can kill you!" the former academy student retorted heatedly. "I know you're afraid, that's why you're trying to keep me here! But you can't hold me forever! Once I escape I will _**KILL**_ you!"

"**Then come to me, boy,**" the voice of the vampire lord replied in mild defiance, "**I await you.**"

Dracula's sinister laughter echoed powerfully all around Tsukune. As it did, the air before him began to shimmer and contort, as a titanic demonic aura was felt. A gargantuan nebulous form appeared before him, resonating with the blackest of darkness. Its contortions soon ceased, as it assumed the shape of a gargantuan black castle, with massive towers that rose high above the castle walls, as bolts of multicolored lightning crashed down around it. An immense shroud of black fog encompassed the entire structure, and gave it an even more foreboding aura.

The former academy student clenched his fists by his sides, as he strove to calm his fears. "So there you are," he spoke aloud. "Finally, I can put an end to this." His breathing came out as a seething hiss through his tightly clenched teeth. "There's no escape for you this time!" he declared towards the morbid structure. "Once I find you, I will _**KILL YOU! PREPARE TO DIE, DRACULA!**_" He immediately flew towards the castle, just as the drawbridge lowered before him.

* * *

Tsukune writhed as he remained on the altar, unable to awaken due to sinister power of Lilith, who remained at the front of the altar, her clawed hands by the sides of his head. Unbeknownst to both hybrid and succubus, a malevolent being watched the scene from afar, separated by countless ages. The demonic entity narrowed it reptilian eyes as it regarded the scene with a detached expression, all but indiscernible upon its clearly inhuman countenance. Its huge taloned hand tightened its grip upon its massive scepter, which crackled with electricity that seemed to agitate the fabric of reality itself.

"_**So,**_" the gargantuan being began in an echoing triple voice, as it sat upon its colossal throne, "_**this is the one who shall succeed him,**_" it asked, as it reached out to the scene with its free claw. "_**Hmph, amusing, this shall be easier than I once surmised.**_" It closed its claw into a fist, signifying the unconscious man's fate. "_**Once he is gone, there shall be no one left to contest me.**_" The colossal draconic creature rose from its ruling seat, its eyes blazing with a fire that could've seared dimensions. "_**And then I, and I alone, shall reign over this infernal world,**_" it declared, as it raised its huge arms aloft, "_**FOR ALL TIME!**_" The seemingly alien beast unleashed a thundering roar of maniacal laughter, as bolts of oddly-colored lightning rained down from high above its ghastly domain.

* * *

Oh crap, what has Tsukune gotten himself into? And even though the struggle has ended at Castle Shuzen and the Grand Barrier restored, how will our heroes fare should they ever encounter this new threat?

"_And will Author keep his OC's under control, or better yet, keep them in his warped mind and out of our hair?_"

Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Moka-san.

"_Just do your job and get me back into action, this is really getting annoying._"

"Or better yet, get Tsukune-san back into action, and let me join in, desu!"

How did I not see that coming. Anyway, tune in for two short omakes, followed by Part II Chapter XII He Awakens...

"Oh goodie! Time for my threesome! Or should I say foursome!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Yukari-chan."

"Too late."

…...


	15. Part II Omake IV

A/N: Hello, everyone. Sorry to have kept you all waiting, it infuriates me as well when I don't produce as often as I can. Sometimes it's hard just getting down behind the keyboard and writing, though it may be just me.

Anyway, here's the first of two omakes, and then we move back to the main story, which I know many have been clamoring for eagerly.

"Don't forget us, desu! Tsukune-san has to come save the day!"

"He's not even in our dimension, Yukari-chan, how's he gonna do that?"

"Just you wait and see, desu."

Why am I not liking the sound of that. Anyway, before I forget, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Omake IV  
Farewell

The sun hung solemnly over the hillside, on the second morning after the tragic night that nearly destroyed the Shuzen family. Near the top of the hill was a small gathering of people, their heads bowed in mute silence. At the head of the group were two kneeling women, their long silvery white hair pulled back behind their ears with matching black bows. They wore full-length black dresses which revealed nothing but their bowed heads. To their left was a wizened man, clad in a long white robe with a black fighting attire underneath. His circular shades concealed his grieving eyes, as his elongated ears protruded from beneath his wealth of white hair. Behind them were five young women, all in long checkerboard skirts, save for the oldest, who wore a long black skirt. The youngest of the group couldn't stop crying, and leaned beside her cyan-haired friend for comfort, who gladly gave it.

At the front of the group was a single tombstone, with a pair of batlike wings at the very top. Upon the grave marker was the following inscription:

"Here Lies  
Pfaria Shuzen  
1979-2009  
RIP"

A pale purple-haired girl knelt amongst her comrades, and though her expression as unreadable as ever, the sorrow and worry she felt was just as profound. "_Hahau-e, Priestess-sama,_" she thought to herself, "_did you really foresee this? Please, please tell this won't-_" She stopped in mid-thought, and shivered at what she'd visualized.

One of the black-clad women in the front instantly looked over her shoulder. "Are you alright, Mizore," she asked with a concerned gaze.

The yuki onna was startled, and wondered if her classmate had read her mind. After a moment, she quickly nodded. "I'll be fine," she hastily replied. "Thanks, Moka."

The younger vampire noted her forced smile, and solemnly closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't believe Neesan did that to you. I, don't know if I can ever trust her again."

The purple-haired girl winced, and instinctively held the left side of her neck, as she recalled what happened the night before.

"You're not the only one," the woman beside Moka interjected, "Kahlua has crossed a very big line. She'll have to work extremely hard if she wishes to regain _my_ trust." Her slender hands tightly balled up into fists. "And so help me, if I find out she told Gyokuro what happened that day, I will never forgive her. Both of them shall feel my wrath," she declared menacingly, as her eyes glowed a fierce shade of red.

A series of startled gasps were heard behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, unsurprised by their reactions.

"Hahau-e," Moka spoke up, "do you mean, my seventh birthday?"

"No," Akasha replied flatly, "the day you were actually born."

* * *

_Akasha screamed in excruciating agony, as her second child was about to be born. It was far more difficult than when she birthed Pfaria, as she'd suffered unforeseen complications. She hadn't told anyone that she'd had dreams of her baby, screaming in pain as a sinister laugh echoed all around her. She'd hoped it was simply a bad dream, but the agonizing and bloody labor soon proved otherwise. Had it not been so, she might've been distracted from the task. And then, with one final scream of pain her child was finally released into the world of life._

_The countess groaned weakly from the ordeal, as she felt she'd lost a lot of blood, both from the delivery and probably from internal injuries. Though she knew she would've soon healed, she was concerned for her child. She became even more concerned by the silence that filled the room. "What is it," she asked worriedly of the midwife, "what's wrong?"_

_The acting nurse, who'd been in service of the Shuzen family for over a century, looked gravely at the child who'd just emerged, and lightly shook her head. The other attendants held equally grave looks. "My Lady," the nurse began with a pained grimace, "your child, she's-"_

_Akasha stared intently at the midwife, who cringed under her gaze. Though she said nothing more, her timid demeanor, coupled with the faint life pulse the elder vampire felt from her child, told her everything. A tired sigh escaped her weary form, as she saw but one recourse. "Give her to me."_

"_My Lady?"_

"_I said, give her to me!" the lady of the castle insisted, as she exposed her deadly fangs for emphasis._

"_Y-y-y-yes, my Lady." The midwife and her assistants quickly cleaned and wrapped up the still newborn, and laid her upon Akasha's stomach._

"_Leave me," the incognito Shinso spoke in a low voice, one that hadn't warranted any further debate._

_The maids nodded in acknowledgment, and quickly made their way out of the room._

_Once the room had been cleared, the ancient vampire sighed wearily as she was left with her stillborn babe. "How I hoped this wouldn't be necessary," she spoke to herself. "I know I'm taking a risk, but I have no other choice." She slightly sat up in bed, and held her child close to her ample bosom. "Forgive me," she finished in a barely audible voice. She opened her fanged mouth wide with an instinctive hiss, and drove her incisors into her daughter's neck. Though she knew she'd already lost a lot of blood, she infused her vitae into the baby in her arms. There was no reaction for around twelve seconds, yet in the next instant a strong youki erupted from within the previously lifeless babe, coupled with an ear-piercing scream._

_Akasha immediately withdrew her fangs, and looked to the crying child in her arms, who glowed with a brilliant crimson aura. "It worked," she spoke to herself, as a smile appeared on her pale face. "Oh, __thank goodness it worked!" She held her daughter against the side of her face, as tears ran from her eyes. "You're alive, my precious treasure."_

_As she caressed her baby's small cheek, an immense demonic aura manifested in the room. She looked up from her vantage point, and watched as the imposing form of the castle lord materialized in the room. "Issa-kun," the silver-haired woman spoke affectionately, a tired yet warm smile on her face._

"_Are you alright," Shuzen asked with slightly widened eyes, along with a hint of concern in his otherwise impassive voice. "Where are the servants?"_

"_It was more difficult than I'd expected," the countess began wearily, "but she's finally here. Come, Issa, come and hold your newborn daughter." _

_The Third Dark Lord scowled in response, visibly displeased that she'd evaded his question. His piercing eyes surveyed the room, and soon fell upon the chamber's only door. "Get in here!" he called out, a strong sense of aggravation in his voice._

"_Y-y-yes, my Lord!" the chambermaid's nervous voice came from outside. She quickly made her way back inside, with her subordinates close behind her. The air became heavy with the scent of their fear, and they visibly trembled before their master, who sent a scathing glare towards them._

"_You dare abandon my wife in her hour of need," Shuzen asked with an irate growl. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't execute the **lot** of you!"_

"_Enough, Issa," Akasha interjected, "come, and your hold your daughter."_

_The castellan scowled at first, for he despised being commanded by anyone, even his own wife. A couple of moments later, he slowly approached her bedside, as his crimson irises noted the bloodied sheets upon his wife, which supported her earlier testimony. The countess held up her daughter, and the ancient lord took her into his arms. The baby wriggled and cried aloud as her father's detached gaze fell upon her, which visibly softened response._

"_Yes," the silver-haired nobleman began in a hollow yet eager voice, "she has come. Despite everything that tried to prevent her birth, she has come."_

_Akasha gave her weary crimson eyes a slight roll, bemused at her husband's rather dubious words._

"_Yes," Shuzen continued, "I can see, great things for her, greater than all who have come before her. She shall be the one, who shall inherit, our legacy."_

"_Legacy," the countess asked curiously, since it was the first time her mate had spoken of the subject._

"_Yes, she shall be the one." He looked intently at the babe in his arms. "It can be none other than you, Moka."_

_The incognito Shinso giggled wearily. "_Him and his chocolate fetish,_" she thought to herself. "I'm glad you approve so much, Issa," she began with a light smirk. "But what will you leave for her sisters?"_

_Th Third Dark Lord quirked an eyebrow up as he looked out the corner of his eye._

"_Hey!" an impatient female voice called out from the other side of the door, which was forcibly banged upon. "Is she here yet?"_

"_Aneue," a second female voice spoke in a chiding manner, "you're being too loud. Be more considerate of Akasha-san, she's been under a lot of stress lately."_

_The countess couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her stepdaughter lecturing her older relative. "Come in, Pfaria-chan, your sister just arrived."_

"_Oh goodie!" The door slammed open, which shook the whole room, and an overly exuberant thirteen-year-old silver-haired young woman ran into the room, dressed in an elegant silvery dress, briskly entered. Though her raiment revealed only her arms and had a very high cut, its form-fitting nature showed exactly how her body was shaped. She sped by the maids, which made them spin rapidly in place. Though the chambermaid managed to maintain her balance, her underlings weren't so fortunate, and toppled onto the floor. She stopped short once she saw her father, as an annoyed pout crossed her pale features. "Pooh, he beat us here."_

"_Aneue," a longsuffering voice spoke from the open doorway, "haven't you been told _not_ to barge into rooms like that?" A few moments later, an eleven-year-old bronze-skinned girl entered, holding the side of her fair head in chagrin. After that, she smoothed out the skirt of her own full-length dress, bright pink in color and held up by two simple straps. "One day, you're gonna run someone over, then Akasha-san will be _really _upset." She gave her head of curly blonde hair a rueful shake._

"_Enough chattering," Shuzen interjected impassively, as he held out the babe in his arms, "present yourselves to Moka."_

"_Don't you have that backwards," the eldest daughter asked with a peculiar look._

"_Of course not," Kahlua warily replied, as she looked quite uncomfortable, "it makes, perfect sense. Yes, we're supposed to present ourselves to our, um, little sister. Go on, Aneue, make yourself known."_

_The taller girl looked back and gave her sibling a menacing growl. "You inspire me more and more every day to kill you."_

_The blonde girl yelped in response._

_The eldest daughter of the Dark Lord took the newborn child into her arms, and held her against her chest. "Hello, Moka," she began with a somewhat chagrined look as the baby cried softly, "I'm Pfaria, I'll be your oldest sister. Hopefully we'll get along just fine," she concluded, as her own eyes softened noticeably._

"_Ooh, I think she likes you," her younger sibling happily spoke up, "you have a cute sister and a great role model in Akasha-san, I'm so jealous. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful mother when you're older."_

"_Y-y-you be quiet!" the eldest sister spoke heatedly, as her cheeks became flushed. "Are you trying to make me look bad?"_

"_Of course not, the way you're built people might think she was your child rather than Akasha-san's."_

"_Kahlua," the silver-haired princess growled menacingly, as her eyes glowed with murderous intent._

"_Oops," the blonde vampire began with a chagrined smile, as she felt three murderous gazes upon her, "I think I've said too much. Please, forgive me."_

_Akasha groaned wearily to herself as she shook her head. "Children," she spoke under her breath, "they grow up far too fast." She then looked to her stepdaughter, as she read the unspoken question in her gaze. "Let her hold her, Pfaria."_

_The eldest princes gave her a questioning look, then reluctantly handed over her newborn sister._

"_Hello, Moka-chan," the blonde girl began with an elated expression as she rocked the babe from side to side, "I'm your sister, Kahlua-san. I know a lot of great games we can play together, and I'd just love to dress you up when you're older. Oh, I hope I didn't upset you with what I said earlier, I honestly hold Aneue in the highest regard. I guess I let my imagination run away with me," she continued, as a sweatdrop ran down the side of her head, for she knew her stepmother's eyes were still upon her. "Anyway, we're gonna have so much fun together, it'll be like our own little piece of Heaven, here in our humble abode. Feel honored, I know I do."_

_Suddenly, a well-dressed manservant appeared in the doorway, a fearful expression on his face. "My lord," he began urgently._

_Shuzen glanced over his shoulder towards the door, a disgusted annoyance on his pale face. "What is it?"_

"_My lord," the servant replied with a noticeable shiver, "Councilor Xolor has just arrived."_

_The Third Dark Lord immediately spun in his direction. "Are you serious," he demanded with an incredulous look._

"_His timing his impeccable," Akasha muttered under her breath. "See him in," he called out to her subordinate._

_The butler bowed reverently, turned around and a shocked expression appeared on his face. A few moments later, a bald vampire walked past him and entered the room, clad in a black tuxedo which possessed the durability of armor._

"_Oh, this a most momentous occasion!" the newcomer declared, as he extravagantly gestures with his arms. "The arrival of your newborn child is such a boon to the vampire community, we are honored by her truly divine presence. Surely the gods have smiled down upon us, as truly she is a gift from them, and she shall bless your house endlessly as well as all vampires until all time ceases to be!"_

"_He's laying it on thick," Pfaria grumbled with an annoyed frown._

"_And you came all this way to tell us that," the castellan asked with a perturbed scowl. "I do hoe you have not forgotten your duties, as you would well know the penalty for any form of negligence."_

"_Of course not," Xolor offered in response, "I assure you, everything is well in hand. We have nothing to fear from the days of old, which shan't return under our unshakable vigilance."_

"_I do hope that is true," Akasha replied with a guarded look, as the Elder Council had always made her uneasy, "the horrors of the past must never be repeated."_

_Shuzen quickly glanced towards her with a suspicious look, and the countess seemed quite surprised by the unspoken accusation in his eyes._

"_If it is not asking for too much," the elder vampire spoke up, "might I have the honor of holding your newborn child?"_

_The Third Dark Lord glared at him, which made him immediately cringe in response. The countess gave him a suspicious look, as he acted nothing like an esteemed council member. His behavior would've been deemed erratic by most vampires, and some would've called it unacceptable. However, his standing amongst the elders was unquestioned, as Shuzen himself had personally defended his position amongst them. Akasha had wondered what her mate saw in him, as she felt there was some secret connection between them, which piqued her curiosity. However, her husband proved less than forthcoming with her inquiries, as he deemed it a Council matter, and a Council matter alone. That was one thing she truly detested about him, his nigh insane penchant for secrecy, even from his own family._

"_Make it brief," the castle lord conceded irritably._

"_Of course." He held out his arms expectantly, and Kahlua stepped forth and placed her sister within his care. He looked deeply into the baby's face, undeterred by her wriggling and crying. "Ah yes," he began eagerly, "I can see, a great destiny ahead of her. Far greater than all who'd come before her," he went on, as his slender fingers touched the side of the newborn's face. "She is the one who shall-"_

_Suddenly, the baby's wailing grew loud, and her eyes unexpectedly opened, and a malevolent crimson aura shot forth. Xolor cried out in horror, as the vile energy enveloped him and seeped right into his mind. A few moments later, he toppled over and fell back onto the floor, with the child still in his arms._

"_**MOKA!**" Akasha called out as she instinctively began to rise, aghast at what she'd just witnessed._

"_My Lady, no!" the chambermaid spoke urgently as she ran to her side. "You're in no condition to move!"_

"_Get back!" the incognito Shinso snapped as she lashed out with her left arm. "I must get to my daughter!"_

_As the countess struggled to get to her feet, Pfaria quickly moved to the unconscious elder's body and quickly relieved him of the screaming child. "Are you alright, Moka," she began worriedly as she rocked her gently, "he didn't scare you, did he? It must be pretty frightening, all these people you've never met, wanting to hold you. But you're safe now, Moka, no one's gonna hurt you. I'll make sure of that."_

"_Pfaria-hime," one of the maids spoke up, a frightened expression on her face._

"_Pfaria-chan," Kahlua added, reluctant to have neared the crying baby in her sister's arms, "Moka-chan." As she watched, the child's wriggling eased somewhat, and her cries grew noticeably softer. Though the blonde girl knew she should've felt relieved, what occurred earlier truly terrified her._

_Shuzen looked down at his comatose associate, disbelief all over his ageless face, coupled with a nigh imperceptible hint of fear. "What," he asked, unable to have concealed his confusion, "what just happened?"_

_His eldest daughter hummed uncertainly as she looked between him, her sister, and the still form of Xolor. "He fainted," she finally replied._

"_Fainted?" the castellan snapped in exasperation._

"_Yeah, old people do that."_

_The Third Dark Lord growled menacingly, while his mate had similar sentiments as she approached from behind, her nightgown covered with blood from below the waist. "_Old people,_" she asked herself mentally, as her left eyebrow twitched dangerously, "_**that's** the best excuse she could think up?_"_

"_But, Pfaria-hime," another maid interjected, "what about what we just saw. What she-"_

"_Nonsense," the eldest sister interrupted, "the old man's been working too hard. They always have trouble with falling, among other things."_

"_Pfaria," Akasha began in a menacing voice as she walked past her husband, "give Moka-chan to me **now.**"_

_The teenage vampire cringed at the murderous intent in her mother's voice. She didn't need to look to have known her obvious displeasure. "Yes, Hahau-e," she replied meekly, as she returned her newborn sister to the countess' embrace._

* * *

Moka looked to her mother in sheer terror, aghast at what she'd just learned. "Is that true," she asked in a small voice.

"Yes," the ancient taiyoukai replied solemnly. "I ordered everyone in the room to remain silent of the incident, and they adhered without question." A weary sigh escaped her at that moment. "I never believed you were a bad omen, nor did your sister. But Kahlua, how could you," she asked with a hurt look on her pale features. "After everything I'd done for her-" She stopped in mid-sentence, clearly devastated by the apparent betrayal. "She's the last person I ever expected this from."

"My word," Fuhai uttered in sheer disbelief, "his hand was upon her even then? That's, that's madness!" He hissed to himself as he abruptly turned away. "I don't understand, there should've been no possible means for him to return. How, how could this have happened?"

"We don't know either," Kurumu spoke up from the rear. "All we know he's after her, his followers believe she'll be the one who brings him back. That's why Colton came to the school."

"Bring him back," the youjutsu master asked curiously as he looked over his shoulder.

"But that's a load of bull!" the incognito succubus continued heatedly, her violet eyes shimmering with anger. "Dracula's doing that on purpose, spreading lies so everyone would turn against Moka! All this misery, all this destruction, it's _all_ because of him!" she declared as she shot to her feet. "I'll never forgive him for toying with Moka and Tsukune's lives like this!" she concluded, her fists shaking by her sides as bitter tears ran down her soft cheeks.

"Me neither!" Yukari added resolutely as she stood up beside her classmate.

"Ditto," a calm yet determined Mizore added.

"Nor will I," Ruby interjected.

"Or I," Michiru spoke up.

"Hmph," Fuhai muttered as he turned and regarded the teenage throng. "I do hope you all realize what you're getting into, Count Dracula is not an opponent to take lightly. Greater individuals than you have tried, and failed to defeat him." He looked meaningfully at Moka for a moment, and then turned his attention back to the others. "And what of your friend," he asked pointedly. "You seem to believe this is all a grand hoax on his part." He then looked to the vampire's lower stomach, and furrowed his aged brow. "But what if you're wrong, what will you do then?"

"I am not his plaything!" the princess shot back as she rose imperiously to her feet. "I will crush him for all the suffering he's caused me, my mother, my family-" She paused for a moment, her shoulders shaking noticeably. "-and Tsukune. I'll **never** forgive him for taking Tsukune from me! I'll hunt him down to the gates of Hell itself if I have to!" she declared angrily, as her youki manifested around her, and her burning red eyes shot murderous daggers towards the diminutive mafia leader.

Before he could've responded, Akasha rose to her feet and turned towards her child, unaffected by the demonic aura. "If that is your earnest desire," she said with a stern look, "then stay true to it, and never relinquish it regardless of what happens." She then placed her slender hands on the princess' shoulders. "Moka, this will be extremely dangerous, something I hoped you'd never have to undertake. Once you leave this world, there's no guarantee you'll ever return. Mikogami and myself won't be able to protect you at that point. Are you truly prepared for all that?"

"Yes, Hahau-e," the younger demoness spoke without hesitation, "I don't want to live without Tsukune." A sad look crossed her pale features as she turned away. "I know this isn't what you raised me for, but I can't just give up on Tsukune, not after everything we've been through together. Even if I use this dreadful power I tried to deny, even if I cause conflict again, I- I want to be Tsukune again! I want to show everyone, that I can protect him, with my own strength," she concluded, as her face became downcast.

"There's no need to apologize, Moka," the countess replied as she pulled her into her embrace. "In fact, I found myself in a similar position, a long time ago," she finished, a haunted look in her crimson irises.

"Really?"

"Yes, let's return to the castle, I'll tell you everything there."

"But what about-"

The incognito Shinso shushed her, as she held up her right hand. "Leave that to me, darling."

"Akasha," Fuhai interjected, "if I may ask, does it involve, _that_ incident Mikogami mentioned earlier?"

The elder vampire lightly growled to herself, as a light scowl appeared on her face. "Yes," she replied bluntly, "it's something I've never told anyone. Though it seems it's time I revealed it, as well as, who I really am."

* * *

Say **what?** Just what **is** the relevance of the Crimson Apocalypse? How does it relate to what's happening now? And just who **is** Akasha Bloodriver?

"It can wait, we need to see Tsukune-san kill Dracula and save the world, desu!"

Yes, nice to know your priorities are in check. Anyway, after the next omake (which won't take nearly as long because it's almost finished) we continue with our main story in Part II Chapter XII He Awakens

And before I forget, "hime" = "princess" in Japanese. Until next time...


	16. Part II Omake V

A/N: Hello everyone, I apologize again for the delay, sometimes the enormity of this saga gets the better of me. Maybe I should've written a short story first.

"_Enough excuses, get on with it._"

Fine fine, anyway, as a change for only this chapter, foreign text will be in its own language. For those who want translations, they're available at the end of the chapter. ^^;; Yes, event though it's supposed to be an omake, the wordcount matches some of my old chapters.

"You suck as an editor."

Anyway, as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Omake V  
Promises

Akasha inhaled deeply after she'd finished the story of her life. She looked about the sitting room and gazed at the five girls who'd become her daughter's friends at school. She felt relieved that her remaining child had gained such good friends, and privately impressed that they'd risked their own lives by following her to the castle, knowing full well Issa killed intruders without hesitation. And since they were willing to face such an imposing menace as her ex-husband, she knew she could've entrusted her daughter's safety to them, until they returned from the journey.

She especially took noted of the cyan-haired girl, who'd trembled more than once during her account. She recognized the emblem on her chest, and what it meant. She wondered how long it would've been before she discovered its meaning, and hoped she lived to reach that realization.

"I suppose this covers everything," she finally spoke to the group gathered around her. "I only ask you tell no one of this, but keep it in mind, for I fear it shall become very relevant in the near future." She noted everyone nodded in agreement, and then rose from her chair. "And though I'm sure you already know this, once you leave this realm, neither Mikogami nor myself will be able to protect you. Your fates will be in your hands, are you truly prepared for that."

"Yes, Hahau-e," Moka replied without hesitation, then a pensive look crossed her face. "Hahau-e?"

"Yes, my daughter?"

"Before we depart, there's someone I must see, someone who must know, who I really am."

Akasha quirked up an eyebrow in interest, but didn't protest.

* * *

Kasumi Aono relaxed in front of her television set, quite winded after a long day of cleaning. It had been two days since the mysterious incident that caused chaos throughout the neighborhood, and the reports varied from person to person. No one was certain what truly occurred, but the area had finally begun to return to a sense of normalcy, as the damaged caused was nothing compared to a tsunami or an earthquake, so she and her husband were grateful to their good fortunes.

On the screen was the bland visage of the newscaster she saw when the sky had apparently cracked some time back. He looked visibly unfazed by the recent string of unusual events, which attested to his diligence about being an objective reporter.

"In other news," the reporter began, "the clean-up efforts after the surprise attack on the Thirty-Ninth Tokyo Police Precinct are resuming, and a memorial service for those men and women who lost their lives in that disaster is set for later in the week. All the bodies of the forty-eight officers who died in the attack have been identified, along with an American man, who's been identified as Houston Police Detective Stan Mason. Any regards to the families of the slain officers can be sent to the address on the screen."

"How horrible," the housewife began as she munched on a chip in her hands, "who could do such a thing? And what does this have to do with Akashiya-san?"

Suddenly, the bland noise coming from the television was interrupted by the sound of the living room phone, which rang expressively. Kasumi quickly looked in its direction, surprised that anyone would've called at that juncture. Broken out of her train of thought, she quickly walked over the phone, picked the receiver off its base, and brought it to her ear. "Hello," she asked politely, a twinge of nervousness in her voice.

"Okaa-sama," a mature woman's voice came from the end, heavily wrought with sadness.

Tsukune's mother inhaled sharply at the unfamiliar voice, and how it had addressed her. "Who is this," she asked, far more nervous than before.

A deep sigh came from the other end of the phone. "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me," the stranger continued, "but I haven't forgotten to promise I made to you." She paused for a moment, as a light sniffle came through the receiver. "To protect Tsukune."

Kasumi gasped aloud, as her brown eyes went as wide as diner plates. "Akashiya-san," she asked in disbelief. The voice sounded nothing like her son's classmate, though it didn't sound like it had been electronically altered, like she'd seen in spy movies.

"Yes, okaa-sama," the woman's voice sadly replied. "I never wanted you to think I'd been deceiving you, but I can't hide what I am anymore."

"What you are," the housewife asked in an uncertain voice. "Akashiya-san, what's going on? Where's Tsukune?"

Another sigh came through the receiver. "It would be best if I told you in person." Light sniffling was heard on the other end. "You're the woman who brought Tsukune into the world, you deserve to know the truth."

Countless frightening scenarios ran through Kasumi's mind as she considered the strange woman's words. "Akashiya-san," she began in a measured, anxious voice, "please tell me Tsukune is alright."

"That's why I need to see you. Please, Okaa-sama!" the still-unverified woman spoke urgently, which was followed by pained sobs.

The thirtysomething woman couldn't deny the desperation she heard over the phone, along with the pained feelings in her heart. "Alright, Akashiya-san" she finally conceded, "if you truly feel this is best."

"Good, I'll be there within the hour."

Kasumi was thunderstruck by the response, especially since she wasn't asked if it was a good time. "Are you sure," she asked nervously. "Where are you?"

"I can't tell you that now. Once I arrive, I'll tell you everything. I promise."

The brown-haired woman was stunned silent by what she'd heard. Though she didn't recognize her voice, the feelings she had for Tsukune were the same. Kasumi noted they even seemed stronger than when they last met. "Alright, I'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Okaa-sama," the voice on the other end spoke gratefully. "See you then, goodbye."

Kasumi slowly hung up the phone, very distressed by what she'd just heard. She found her hand shaking as she continued to hold the receiver, as she unquestionably some terrible fate had befallen her only son. "Tsukune," she spoke under her breath, greatly worried about her child's welfare. At that moment, the phone rang again. She inhaled sharply, and instinctively picked it up. "Akashiya-san," she asked nervously.

"Oh, uh no, Obaa-san," a female voice replied from the other end, "did she just call?"

Tsukune's mother sighed in relief at the more familiar voice. "Ah, Kyou-chan. Yes, she just called a few moments ago."

"Did something happen to Tsukki," the dark-haired woman asked intently.

Kasumi gulped nervously at the accusation. "Um, she didn't say. She only said she'd explain in person once she arrived."

"When is she coming," the headstrong teenager demanded. "If anything's happened to Tsukki, I'll never forgive her! I don't care if she's a-" Her voice gulped nervously on the other end, and then became silent.

"If she's a what," the older woman asked. "Kyou-chan, what's going on? Is there something you'd like to tell me?" She received a nervous gulp in response, which made her even more suspicious.

"Obaa-san," Kyouko finally replied, "that girl, is not what you think she is."

The Aono matriarch hummed in response, not wholly surprised when she considered she didn't recognize Moka's voice over the phone. "Is that so. Then tell me, Kyou-chan, just what is she?"

A nervous gulp came from the other end.

* * *

Akasha parked her Accord nearby the Aono residence, as she'd assumed her human guise once again. Getting it out of the impound was quite difficult, considering she was declared missing after her law office and residence were destroyed. She looked towards the house, and saw a woman with short black hair in the window, a suspicious look in her eyes. Her lips tightened noticeably, as she'd received such looks more times than she cared to remember. She then looked over to her daughter, whose head was bowed and her shoulders trembling all but imperceptibly.

"Moka," the disguised vampire began, which got her daughter's attention, "I don't need to remind you how dangerous this is. If you reveal what you are, there's a chance she could turn on you, possibly even attack you out of fear. It would be much worse than middle school. Are you truly willing to risk that?"

The former academy student frowned at the reminder of her unhappy childhood, but quickly shook it off. "I know, Hahau-e, but- I can't deceive them anymore, not after what happened to Tsukune." She intertwined her long fingers as her face became downcast again. "I, I want to show them that not all of us are evil." She turned back to her mother with a pleading look. "Isn't that what you always wanted?"

A deep sigh came from the ancient taiyoukai, as she somberly closed her jade eyes. "It is, but thanks to Colton and Gyokuro, our task has become a lot more difficult. And if the authorities become aware of Fairy Tale-" She left the sentence unfinished, too disturbed by the ramifications of what she'd already spoken. As she tightly gripped the steering wheel, she felt a soft touch on her right hand. She looked over, and saw her daughter's elongated digits over her tightened knuckles.

"I know I'm taking a risk here," Moka began as she looked into her mother's eyes, "but we have to start somewhere, don't we? I know she'll probably be scared when she sees this side of me, she might probably faint. But I believe she'll still accept me, despite what I am." She lightly tilted her head, and gave her mother a wry smirk. "If anything, she should be more welcoming of me, since we value our promises, don't we Hahau-e?"

A weary yet rueful sigh came from the matriarch, as she lightly shook her head. "Looks like I raised you too well in that regard." She turned in her seat and gave her child a wan smile. "Alright, Moka, take care."

"I will." The younger vampire undid her seat belt, leaned over and warmly embraced Akasha. "Thank you, Hahau-e, for believing in me."

"Always, Moka-chan," the pink-haired woman spoke warmly as she returned her embrace. A lone tear ran down her cheek as she held her precious child. "Always."

* * *

Kyouko was all but frozen by the window, as she looked out towards the nondescript Accord parked right outside the Aono residence. Every nerve in her body was tensely coiled up, as she was certain Moka was in the vehicle outside. She merely waited for the vampire to have emerged from the car, then she planned to confront her about her dearly beloved cousin, whose absence of two whole weeks seemed all but unbearable.

Finally, the passenger side door opened, and a strange figure emerged from the car, clad in a long gray coat that reached past the individual's knees. The stranger wore a matching hat with a very wide brim, and what appeared to be sunglasses. "What is she up to," she asked nervously, all but tempted to leap through the window after her. "She'd better not try anything funny with Obaa-san! Vampire or not, she's gonna have to get through me first!"

"Kyou-chan," Kasumi's voice called out from the kitchen, "has Akashiya-san arrived?"

The younger woman cringed in response, as she realized she'd spoken aloud. "I'll find out, Obaa-san."

"You do that."

The dark-haired woman looked back to the window, and saw the figure was almost three-quarters of the way up the path towards the house, and continued with her relaxed pace, though it unnerved Kyouko to no end. Without waiting, she immediately headed for the door and flung it open. No sooner than she did that she saw the stranger right before her. The individual's pale features looked very similar to those of Moka in her full vampire form, which unnerved Tsukune's cousin for many a sleepless night. That fact alone made the headstrong woman even more suspicious of the newcomer, who merely stood on the doorstep without a word.

"Hello Kyou-chan," the stranger spoke in a clearly unfamiliar voice, as a small smile crossed her features, "long time no see."

"Don't you try to deceive me, youkai!" the dark-haired woman snapped irritably, as she pointed her trembling index finger right in the newcomer's face. "Where's Tsukki?"

The woman's smile promptly faded, as a light exhale escaped her. "I'll explain inside," she finally replied with a slight bow of her head, which caused the brim of hat to conceal her features.

"You'll explain **now, **Moka Akashiya!" Kyouko demanded with a fierce glare. "What have you done to my Tsukki?"

The newcomer quickly brought her gaze back up, which became noticeably more intense, even from behind her sunglasses.

At that moment, the form of Kasumi Aono came briskly to the front door, most likely alerted by the audible commotion. She stopped beside her niece, and looked warily at the mysterious woman by the door. "Akashiya-san," she asked in a guarded voice, "is, that you?"

"Yes, Okaa-sama."

The matriarch sighed in response, though she wasn't visibly relieved. She paused and looked to the clock in the living room. "Right when you said," she conceded, a trace of worry in her brown eyes. She then looked back to the newcomer, who looked nothing as she did upon her last visit. "Please, come in."

Moka nodded respectfully, and walked through the opened doorway, with Kyouko's suspicious eyes locked upon her, though she seemed unaffected. Her hands remained in her coat pockets, her gait very measured.

The Aono matriarch watched as she stopped in the middle of the room. "Akashiya-san," she began nervously, and become even more so when her guest hadn't replied. She then slowly closed the distance between them. "Akashiya-san, please tell me Tsukune is alright."

The unfamiliar woman lowered her head, her intentions unreadable. "Close the curtains," she finally spoke up, her voice sounding much older and stronger than before.

"What are you up to-" Kyouko began suspiciously.

"Just do it," the stranger interjected sternly with a half-turn of her head.

The dark-haired woman gasped in response, while Kasumi sighed warily, as she found herself unable to have recognized the newcomer. Her demeanor was nothing like that of the girl she'd met earlier in the year. She gave her another look, and noticed all her hair seemed to have been concealed beneath her hat, which made her niece even more antsy. With a precarious glance, Tsukune's mother made her way to the windows at the edge of the living room, and closed the curtains on each one.

"Good," the secretive individual spoke up as she looked over her shoulder, "now come here."

Kyouko exhaled through clenched teeth, and balled her fists by her sides. From that vantage point, she could've seen the crimson irises which gazed sidelong towards Kasumi. But no sooner than she saw them that the woman turned her gaze away again, which infuriated her to no end.

Kasumi nervously walked up beside her niece, as she clasped her shaking hands before her. Once she had stopped, the newcomer turned fully towards her, removed her hands from her pockets and placed them on her and Kyouko's shoulders. Though the Aono matriarch felt no hostile intent in her touch, the strength in it was undeniable, and she felt herself moved aside, as was the dark-haired woman beside her. She watched as the mysterious visitor walked between them, and stopped five feet away.

"Okaa-sama," she began in a grave voice, "I'm sorry. This wasn't what you were expecting, I'm sure." Her shoulders raised noticeably, then fell as she sighed heavily. "I haven't forgotten the vow I made to you, and I'm still planning to keep it. But it's not fair, that you don't know who you entrusted with Tsukune's well-being."

"Obaa-san!" Kyouko immediately protested. "You didn't! Wh-what were you thinking, trusting Tsukki to, _her!_" she finished accusingly, as she pointed towards the stranger, who slowly looked over her shoulder and emitted a low yet noticeable hiss, which intimidated the dark-haired woman.

The Aono matriarch gasped nervously at what just occurred, as fear began to manifest within her heart. "Akashiya-san," she began timidly, "what are you?"

The mysterious figure slowly turned towards her, as her hands rested upon the tie of her long coat. "I'll show you. But I warn you," she continued, no hint of pride in her voice, "you're probably not gonna like what you're about to see."

Kasumi and Kyouko drew close to one another, as they watched the stranger began to loosen the tie around her coat. The older woman looked especially nervous as she saw her guest's elongated fingers and nails, which looked very sharp. After a few seconds, her coat was opened, and she slowly removed the garment. The older woman's brown eyes went wide as she saw the woman's toned and exquisite physique, clad in a form-fitting knee-length black dress, held up by a pair of black straps which left her slender arms bare. Kasumi's eyes blinked repeatedly, as she saw the woman's body was more mature and developed than she'd seen earlier, resembling more the physique of a fitness model rather than a schoolgirl. Yet the one thing that caught her attention was the blackened cross upon her chest, which she recalled as being silver when they last met.

She then watched as her guest laid her coat upon the sofa beside her. The next thing she did was reach for her sunglasses with her elongated digits, and slowly removed them. Once she did, Kasumi saw her eyes were closed, which she found very puzzling. The woman then bowed her head, and gently took hold of the front and back of her hat's brim. She slowly removed the article, and then gracefully threw her head back, which unleashed a mass of blinding silver hair that ran past her posterior. The next thing she did was bare her gleaming white teeth, which exposed two pair of deadly incisors. She opened her mouth wide, as a low hiss escaped her. She then opened her eyes, which glowed a fierce crimson shade, as she leveled her burning gaze at the pair before her. Kasumi cried out in fear at the menacing visage, then her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she passed out.

"Obaa-san!" Kyouko cried out as she reached out to catch her aunt before she collapsed onto the floor. But in a split second, Moka was on her other side and easily caught the unconscious woman. The headstrong teenager glared at her, incensed at what had just occurred. "What's the meaning of this, Akashiya-san!" she demanded, as she tried to pull the unconscious woman from her grasp. "What do you think you're doing, scaring poor Obaa-san like that, are you trying to give her a heart attack?"

"No!" the silver-haired woman shot back heatedly, as she fiercely clung to Kasumi's motionless form. "I want her to know the real me, and let her make her own judgment. She's Tsukune's mother, she has the right to know the truth."

"Oh really," the dark-haired teenager retorted, unimpressed by the vampire's words, "and when you were planning to tell Obaa-san what you did to Tsukki?"

"What are you talking about!" Moka demanded with a fierce look.

"I know, I know what you did with Tsukki!"

* * *

_Kyouko awoke with a start, as she heard inhuman growls from nearby, which reminded her of the chaos that erupted after Lilith's Mirror was unsealed at the academy. She looked about, and found herself in the living room of the Aono residence, which was illuminated by an eerie crimson glow. She ran to the front window, and saw a horde of monsters roaming the streets, their eyes glowing __malevolently, as a blood-colored moon hung in the nighttime sky. "What's going on," she asked nervously, "where'd all these demons come from? Oh, this is too scary!"_

_Suddenly, an agonized female scream came from upstairs, which distracted her from the terrifying scene outside the house. "Obaa-san!" she cried out. She looked about and saw an unused coat rack nearby. She grabbed it then headed towards the scream._

_She scurried up to the second floor and soon reached the master bedroom. No sooner than she did that she saw a shadowed figure, holding onto Kasumi's still body, its mouth upon her neck. "__**OBAA-SAN!**__" she screamed in terror, and then raised the coat rack over her head and smashed it down upon the fiend's head, though it seemed less than effectual. She struck two more times with similar results, but upon the fourth swing, the figure turned into mist and vanished, and Kasumi's body fell to the floor._

_Kyouko immediately knelt down beside her aunt's body, and gasped in horror at what she beheld. She saw much of her front was covered in blood, with two suspicious puncture wounds on her neck. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hands, aghast at the sight before her, as the nightmares of Youkai Academy came to the forefront of her mind. "No, Obaa-san!"_

_Gathering her mental strength, she stood up and looked about the room. She saw her uncle lying motionless on the blood-stained bed, with similar wounds on his neck. The dark-haired woman trembled in fear, appalled that her unassuming family would've been attacked so mercilessly. As she struggled to maintain her sanity, the image of her last family member appeared in her frightened mind. "Tsukki!" she cried out, and ran from the room._

_Kyouko finally ran to her cousin's room, and though she feared what she might've seen, she flung the door open regardless. "__**TSUKKI!**__" she screamed as she barged inside. Once she did, she saw the room was abandoned, with the single window opened wide. A cold wind blew through the room, as if no one had inhabited it for ages. "No," she spoke in nigh despair as she feared the worst, "this can't be."_

_Suddenly, lightning flashed from outside the window. She turned in its direction, and yelped in fright as she saw a shadowy figure just outside. As she stood paralyzed in fear, the figure flew upwards and out of sight. Immediately she ran to the window,which illuminated a shadowy figure that looked within. The dark-haired teenager yelped in fright at its appearance, and watched as it flew upwards._

_A few moments later, a thud came from above Kyouko, and she instantly looked towards the ceiling. "That guy, he's on the roof?" She quickly ran towards the window and looked outside. The sky had suddenly grown cloudy, as bolts of lightning crashed down from above. She saw nothing she could've used to climb up to the roof, only the ledge above her, which incensed her to no end. "He'd better not __have hurt Tsukki, or I'm __**really**__ gonna be steamed!"_

_The young woman opened the window all the way, and reached up towards the edge of the roof. Once she felt she had a solid grip, she slowly slid her body out the opening. Though it would've seemed crazy to a sane individual, Kyouko knew she hadn't such a luxury, not with the fate of her remaining family member at risk. She pulled herself up with her arms, as she managed to get her posterior over the window ledge. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning crashed down right behind her, and she screamed in fright and immediately lost her grip. She began to plummet to the ground, only to have been caught in an upwind and shot into the air. She flew up fifteen feet above the house, then felt herself plummeting down towards the top of the domicile, and cried out from the painful impact._

_Kyouko groaned in pain, her body quite sore after landing on the roof. As she looked up from her vantage point, she saw a single figure standing on the very edge, clad in a tattered black long coat, which flowed back in the cold winds that blew around it. Wisps of black smoke rose from its form, which made it seem even more menacing, as another bolt of lightning crashed down. The frightened woman warily got to her feet, though her injured body loudly protested. Once she did, she saw the figure wasn't as tall as she'd imagined, and its shape didn't seem nearly as imposing. Flowing through the cold winds was its head of unruly brown hair. "What is this," she asked timidly as she approached the stranger. "Don't tell me." She stopped five feet from the being, whose back was still turned towards her. "Tsukki?"_

"_Don't you **dare** call me that!" the figure snapped as it spun in her direction. "Eu sunt **Dracul!**" Another bolt of lightning crashed down, which illuminated his frightening visage. Blood red irises framed a glossy black sea of hate, glared at her, along with elongated bloodstained incisors bared in demonic anger. In between flashes of lightning, his stature fluctuated between his normal height, and one over three feet taller than usual._

* * *

Moka stumbled back and clutched her chest, thunderstruck by what Kyouko had just relayed. The action almost made her drop Kasumi's body, though she managed to latch onto her wrist before she landed on the floor.

"This was all part of the plan, wasn't it!" the dark-haired woman insisted, righteous fury all over her face. "Lure my Tsukki away from me and turn him into a monster! And here I thought you and those girls were friends, I can't believe you'd pull something this despicable! How dare you turn Tsukki into a ghoul, did you really think Obaa-san would be happy with what you've done?" She reached out and tightly grabbed the vampire's shoulders. "_**DID YOU?**_"

The daiyoukai said nothing at first, stunned silent by the hurtful accusations. And at that point, she completely lost her hold on Kasumi, who crumpled onto the floor. "It's not true," she managed in a weak voice. "I, never, wanted to hurt Tsukune. And not," she continued, as looked to the older woman's body, which lied on the floor, "Okaa-sama either."

"And you expect me to believe you now," Kyouko retorted heatedly as she got in her face. "Don't insult my intelligence! I saw him kill Obaa-san, and Oji-san! How _isn't_ that hurting them, Miss Eu Sunt Dracul?"

Moka found herself shaking, not as much from the accusatory stare of Tsukune's cousin, but from her last words, the same ones Tsukune spoke in her dream, which echoed endlessly in her mind. "Eu sunt Dracul?" Suddenly, she screamed in agony, and tightly held her temples, as her physical form began to waver, like a reflection in a pond. "Opreşte-te, **opreste-te!***" she cried out in a distorted voice, pain all over her pale face as she collapsed to her knees, as a foreboding ebony and crimson aura surrounded her. "_**Ieşi din capul meu!**_**" she screamed at the ceiling, and then collapsed forward, though she managed to catch herself with her left hand before she fell facefirst onto the floor, as her form became stable again.

The usually headstrong teenager backed away in shock, frightened by what had just occurred. Though she couldn't have sensed the vampire's energy, she was knowledgeable enough to have realized the phenomenon she'd witnessed was anything but ordinary. "What, in the world, was that?"

"Capul meu***," the silver-haired woman groaned.

Suddenly, Kyouko felt herself immobilized, as an overwhelming sense of dread came over her. After she took a few moments to muster her courage, she spun around with a scream of fright. Behind her, she saw a pink-haired woman in a light green business suit, with matching skirt. Kyouko's eyes went wide, and her mouth gaped open, thunderstruck by the newcomer. She looked past her towards the front door, and much to her chagrin, saw it hadn't been opened.

"What happened to my daughter," the stranger asked expectantly, which brought the teenager back to the matter at hand. She spun back around and glared at her, though she found she couldn't have stopped trembling, which annoyed her to no end.

"Hey!" the dark-haired woman snapped indignantly, quite irate by the newcomer. "What do you think you're doing, sneaking into other people's houses. What happened to being invited in, isn't that how you vampires work?"

Suddenly, the stranger grabbed her by the shoulders, and slammed her hard against the nearby wall, and the whole side of the house seemed to shake in response. "Who told you I was a vampire," she asked in a menacing voice, as Kyouko vainly struggled to free herself. "Who told you!" she demanded with greater emphasis.

"Mama!****" the silver-haired woman called out from the floor. Both turned and saw her on her knees, a frightened look on her pale face as she pleadingly held out her right hand. "Mama, nu! Nu rănit-o!*****" She then gasped, and looked down towards her mouth in horror as she instinctively covered it. She shivered for a few seconds, and then turned and bolted upstairs.

"Moka!" the newcomer called out as she released Kyouko, yet soon saw her words had fallen on deaf ears, as the sound of a door closing came from upstairs. Her stern expression gave way to shock, then became somber as she looked to the floor. "Moka."

* * *

Kasumi groaned wearily, as the sound of a girl's saddened cries reached her ears. With a sharp intake of breath, she instinctively sat up as she regained consciousness. A dull pain came from her side, which she gingerly held. "What happened," she asked herself, her mind still in a daze.

"Obaa-san!" a female voice exclaimed nearby.

The brown-haired woman looked around, and saw Kyouko on one knee before her. "Obaa-san, are you alright?"

Kasumi groaned to herself as she rubbed her side. "I've been better," she conceded.

"Obaa-san, there's a very suspicious woman in here! She got inside without opening the door!"

The housewife contemplated on what she'd just heard, and then gasped as she remembered what happened just before she lost consciousness.

"Obaa-san," the dark-haired young woman asked with a confused look.

"Kyouko," the Aono matriarch asked urgently, "where's Akashiya-san?"

The teenager sighed morosely as she looked off to the side. "She, she ran upstairs."

Kasumi immediately began to rise from the floor.

"Obaa-san, what are you doing," her niece asked with a startled look.

"I have to see her, Kyouko. She's crying," she continued, as tears came to her own eyes, "she needs a mother right now, and I need her." she rose to her feet, and looked to the stairs with a determined yet soft gaze. "No one else can tell me what's happened to Tsukune."

"But Obaa-san," the dark-haired young woman protested, "you can't! There's a suspicious woman up there! She might try to suck your blood!"

Kasumi ruefully shook her head, gently pushed her niece aside and headed towards the stairs, despite the nigh hysterical protests.

The Aono matriarch made her way to the second floor. No sooner than she did that the same crying she heard in her dreams became audible again. She followed it, and soon found herself at the door to her son's room, which was unsurprisingly closed. A deep sigh escaped her, as she recalled the fiasco that occurred the previous year, when she found four girls in the same room with her only son. However, she noted Tsukune was happier than he'd been in middle school, so his time at the academy seemed like a very sound investment. Moreover, she was happy to have finally met his precious friend, Moka Akashiya, who'd returned in virtually another guise.

As she contemplated the matter, she felt a strange denseness in the air. She looked about the area, and found nothing truly peculiar, yet she found it more difficult to breathe near the door, which told her something was very awry. It brought back memories of the bizarre phenomenon the day before, which still made her shudder. She quickly brushed the reminder aside and lightly knocked on the door. "Akashiya-san," she asked worriedly, "are you in there?"

The pained cries from the other side of the door were unmistakable, yet nothing coherent was spoken.

"Akashiya-san," Kasumi continued, "I'm not angry with you. I just, never expected this. Kyouko told me how happy Tsukune was at the academy, that he'd made so many good friends." She sniffled to herself, worried about her son's fate. "What happened, Akashiya-san, what's happened to Tsukune?"

She heard her guests' cries had become more painful, which continued for several long seconds before they finally lessened.

"Moka-san," the housewife asked sadly, "can I please come in? I can help you, if you let me."

Intermixed with morose sobs, the visitor made a sound which seemed to signify a confirmation, so the brown-haired woman slowly turned the doorknob and made her way inside.

Kasumi found her guest on Tsukune's bed, her face buried deep in his pillow, a stark contrast from the terrifying visage from before. Though she took no pleasure in Moka's obvious sorrow, it reminded her of the nervous girl who'd first come to her house, which made her more approachable in Kasumi's eyes. However, as she drew near, she felt the same denseness from before, which puzzled her for a moment. Then she saw her guests' morose form and moved forward despite the apparent resistance.

"Akashiya-san," the housewife began as she stopped near the bedside, "I'm right here." She emitted a deep sigh, as she pulled up a chair and sat herself down. "Akashiya-san, I'm sorry, I never expected this. I never imagined, you, and those other girls, had such a terrible secret. I know you've taken a big risk coming here, and I'm glad. I'm glad," she continued, as she reached out and touched the back of Moka's hand, "that I trusted you to watch over Tsukune."

The despondent girl turned her head towards the housewife, her face hidden behind her long silvery tresses. "O... kaa... sama," she asked uncertainly.

Kasumi reached over, and lightly moved Moka's hair out of her face. Despite her paler countenance and clearly inhuman eyes, the expression she wore was exactly the same when the housewife told her of how Tsukune referred to her, which touched her deeply. "Ah, there you are," she replied, relieved by the familiar expression, "you've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you. But I'm glad, I'm glad it's still you, Akashiya-san."

The silver-haired girl's lips quivered, as fresh tears ran down her cheeks. "_**OKAA-SAMA!**_" she declared as she rose up and wrapped her arms around the older woman's body, as she buried her crying face into her shoulder.

"Easy there," Kasumi uttered in a pained voice, taken aback by her guest's inordinately strong embrace, "not so tight!"

"S-sorry," Moka replied, as she relaxed her grip. She then sat down on the side of the bed, and looked straight into the housewife's face. "Okaa-sama, are you, really alright with this?"

The brown-haired woman watched as she looked to her throat, and touched it with her elongated fingers. Kasumi herself was surprised as well, for her guest rolled her r's and overemphasized some vowels, something that wasn't done in the Japanese language. She quickly shook it off and looked directly at her guest. "Akashiya-san, tell me," she began with a worried look, as she took hold of her shoulders, "who did this to you?"

"What," the visitor asked, visibly taken aback by the unexpected question.

"I don't understand, who could turn such a sweet girl like you into-" She cut herself off and looked away, aghast at the thought of the horrible fate she believed Moka had suffered.

"No one did," the silver-haired young woman finally replied.

Kasumi turned back to her with a worried look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I... was born a vampire. I was never... human." She hand went to her throat, a horrified look on her pale face. "What- what's happened to my voice?"

"You don't remember," a female voice asked from the doorway.

Kasumi turned around, and her mouth gaped open in shock as she saw a tall woman with tightly tied pink hair, who she hadn't seem enter the house. Moreover, she hadn't heard any noises from outside the room, which made her appearance even more startling. Even worse, her visage precisely matched that of the woman she'd seen on the news a couple of days back, Ayumu Akashiya, a powerful attorney who'd gone missing since her law office was destroyed.

"Hahau-e," Moka spoke with a timid expression.

The housewife shivered in response, shocked that they were mother and daughter, despite the fact that they shared the same surname.

"Downstairs, you were speaking to me," the newcomer began, and then slightly learned forward, "in Romanian."

The academy student gasped in shock at what she'd just heard. "But how? No one's ever taught me!"

"Wait a minute!" came Kyuoko's voice from down the hall just before she appeared behind the newcomer. "You mean Tsukki was speaking in, Romanian," she asked with a strange look, baffled by the thought. "Did he learn it at that school or something?"

"No!" Moka replied sharply as she rose to her feet, a stern expression on her pale face. "He didn't, it's, not taught at the academy."

"Wait a minute!" Kasumi interjected, her nerves still shaken after the events of the past couple of days, "Kyouko, did you see Tsukune?"

The dark-haired teenager stammered for a few moments, though three piercing glares coerced her into coherence. "No, Obaa-san," she finally replied, "I only saw him, in a terrible dream. He-" She shivered fearfully, clearly still shaken from the experience.

"What happened," the housewife asked, and went before her in near panic. "Kyouko, tell me what you saw!"

Her niece reluctantly relayed the details of the dream. Kasumi was horrified by the fact that she'd been killed in the dream, even more so that it had apparently been by Tsukune. Any other time she would've meekly passed out, but her concern over her son forced her to have remained conscious. She finally absorbed the rest of the tale, and noted a frightened look on Akashiya's face when she heard Tsukune's last words. "What- what does that mean," the older woman asked, her heart pounding in her chest from the sheer fright within her.

A deep sigh came from behind her. She turned around, and saw Moka with her arms folded under her chest, and her eyes somberly closed.

"It means," the sophomore began gravely, "just as it says. Eu sunt Dracul." She then opened her eyes, which looked intently at Kasumi. "'I am Dracula.'" Bolts of lightning crashed down outside the bedroom window, which illuminated the small room. After that, Kasumi finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

The pink-haired woman looked down at her unconscious form, then turned to her daughter. "Did you have to be so dramatic?"

Moka gulped to herself, an ashamed look on her pale face.

* * *

Once Kasumi finally recovered, she moved he conversation to the dining room, where she prepared tea in order to soother her frayed nerves. It was there that Moka revealed the dire situation at the academy, which was left in ruins thanks to the machinations of Pierce Colton and his associates, though she was clearly uncomfortable with her new accent. Nevertheless, she felt obligated to relay the truth to the Aono matriarch, who honored her commitment by retaining consciousness, regardless of how horrifying she found her tale. Though her form was all but unrecognizable, her commitment to Tsukune was the same, which the troubled housewife saw as a great relief.

"Akashiya-san," she asked of the silver-haired woman, aghast that a man as evil as Colton actually existed, "how could he do such a thing?"

"Because that's how he thinks the world should be run," her guest replied gravely, "all lifeforms under the dominion of an absolute ruler. But that goes everything the school stands for, that's why he destroyed it."

"But you're going to save him, right Akashiya-san," the housewife asked desperately.

"Yes," Moka replied with a determined look, "I'm going to hunt Colton down and tear him apart for what he and Dracula have done to Tsukune. They will rue the day they stole Tsukune from me," she finished, her fangs bared in simmering anger.

"All by yourself," Kyouko finally asked, "that's crazy!"

"I'm not going alone, my friends are coming with me. They want to save Tsukune," she continued, as a nostalgic look crossed her pale features, "the same way he saved them. We would've been lost without him, it's our turn to save him from the darkness."

Kasumi looked to the table, still in shock over what she'd heard. Never did she imagine her only child would've been used for such a despicable purpose. A knock on the door quickly brought her back to the present. "Now who could that be," she asked curiously.

"It's them," the elder Akashiya spoke up, "looks like we tarried too long."

"Sorry," Moka replied with a chagrined look, quite embarrassed over what happened.

Kasumi looked towards the door, and then to her son's precious friend. "You're leaving now," she asked, though it was more of a statement than an actual question, "aren't you?"

"Yes," the recently revealed vampire replied as she reached back behind her chair where her coat was hung. "We're going to find Tsukune," she continued as she slipped her toned arms through the loose sleeves, "and stop Colton from destroying our world."

"Please, Moka-san, you must bring him back," the housewife said in a near pleading voice as she instinctively took hold of her slender hands, "I don't want to live without him."

The former academy sophomore sighed to herself, disengaged her hands and then wrapped her arms around Kasumi's back. "I'll bring him back," she spoke softly in her accented voice, as tears ran from her crimson irises, "I promise."

* * *

Okay, that took longer than it should've, but we're finally done.

"Geez, can you possibly write a _short_ chapter? Your editing skills suck."

Hey, cut me some slack here!

"I'd rather cut something else."

Um, I respectfully decline comment. Anyway, for those who've been patiently, or impatiently, awaiting the next arc begin, it will in our next exciting chapter. Be prepared for Tsukune's dramatic return in Part II Chapter XII He Awakens

And for those confused by the foreign phrases Moka used, explanations are below:

* Stop it, stop it!

** Get out of my head!

*** My head

**** Mother

***** Mother, no! Don't hurt her!


	17. Part II Chapter XII

A/N: Hello everyone, sorry for the overly long delay, it's been a chore just getting back into the habit of writing again. But anyway, for those of you who've been patiently (or impatiently as the case may be) waiting for Tsukune to return to forefront, he does just that.

"Ooh, this is going to be so delicious! I can hardly wait!"

"_Can you think of anything besides blood, Omote? Focus!_"

"I am, Ura-chan, I am."

"_Why me? Just get on with it, would you?_"

Certainly! And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectively. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter XII  
He Awakens

Tsukune flew at incredible speeds through the winding corridors of the castle, his surroundings a blur as they sped by. His only thought was the complete destruction of the fiend who'd ruined his entire life at the academy and terrorized all his friends, Count Dracula. He was certain that once the sinister overlord was slain, he'd be free of the endless nightmare he was apparently trapped within and then reunited with all his friends, especially his precious Moka. And with his newfound power, no one would've dared threaten them again.

He passed through an imposing set of double doors, which revealed a huge staircase high above the ground, which led up into the imperceptible darkness. He continued upwards, and soon saw a small tower ahead, with the unmistakable aura of Dracula deep within. "At last," the former academy student said to himself, "it's finally within my grasp. The end of all these nightmares." Another set of imposing double doors served as the only entrance, with a huge bat carving upon it, the edges dripping with fresh blood. The doors swung open with an eerie creak, and a huge wave of darkness shot forth from the opening, which radiated with his nemesis' satanic energy. Tsukune braced himself, as the black wave threatened to blow him off the staircase and into the vast darkness below. After several seconds, the demonic gale passed, and the way forward was clear. The hybrid teenager flew up through the opening, his feet never touching the stairs beneath them.

Tsukune found himself once more in the same throne room that had plagued his dreams on many occasions, with his mortal enemy upon the ruling seat, though no longer concealed by shadows. He rested his head on his left hand, a detached expression on his deathly pale face, framed by his long ivory hair, as his right leg was crossed over his left knee.

"Dracula!" the hybrid youth growled menacingly, as an immeasurable murderous intent arose from him. "This ends now, I am going to erase you from this world!" he declared, as he pointed his right index finger at him for emphasis.

"Such naivete," the evil overlord mused, visibly unfazed by his enemy's threats. "You still do not understand, as long as there is darkness in the hearts of humans, I will never disappear. Your pitiful attempts to stop me are useless."

"Enough of your nonsense!" the former academy student shot back as he leaned back on his right leg, and brought his hands close to his body. "Get ready, Dracula, I'm gonna end this in one single blow!" He channeled his youki into the space between his hands, as a rising growl escaped him. His whole body tensed in anticipation as an incomparable ebony and crimson aura surrounded him. Soon a similarly colored sphere of demonic energy appeared between his hands, which crackled viciously with his seething hatred of Dracula. The chamber soon began to shake, which pleased Tsukune. A maniacal grin crossed his features, elated that the whole castle trembled before his sovereign power. "That's it, **cower** before me!" he declared, as he continued to concentrate his youki. "Cower before your master!"

Without warning, an unseen object pierced through his back and plunged out of his chest, which made him scream in agony as his concentration was disrupted, and dispersed all the energy he'd gathered to finish off Dracula. He looked down, and saw the point of a longsword emerging from his chest. "Impudent worm," a cold female voice spoke with an audibly insulted tone, "how dare you oppose our lord!"

A split second later, the blade was extracted from his body, which made him groan in pain and caused him to stumble forward two steps. His hand went to the wound on his chest, aghast that he'd been taken off-guard. Hunched over, he looked over his shoulder, and saw a pale woman with long silvery hair, clad in a regal ebony gown, bound at the waist by a blood-colored band, with a batlike insignia on the front. The full skirt billowed dramatically, as the hem hovered a foot off the floor, which exposed her blood red heels. The sleeves of her gown flowed in the same manner as her skirt, and in her right hand was the same weapon that had pierced him, deeply stained with his blood. He watched as she slowly raised the blade, and Tsukune noticed the very low cut of her dress. The sight of the woman's deep cleavage made his eyes go wide, and he instinctively covered his nose. But a moment later, he growled as he knew his enemy was toying with his emotions. Soon his arousal gave way to sheer hatred, as he glared menacingly at his enemy, who grinned shamelessly at him. He watched her bring the blade to her blood-colored lips, and ran her tongue along the edge. She gave him a truly demonic smile, as a rapturous hiss escaped her. "Such a delectable taste," she remarked in her ecstasy, "it's all you humans are good for."

"_**YOU!**_" Tsukune roared, livid that his enemies were maligning his precious friend yet again. With a primal scream, he channel all his energy and hatred into his right fist, and unleashed an immense blast of youki at his enemy. The assault streaked forward, its size concealing its target from sight. A split second later, a huge explosion of demonic energy erupted in the same direction, which shook the entire room.

Tsukune's shoulders heaved as he stood in place, seething hatred in his heart. Even though the explosion had not yet subsided, he was certain his enemy had been obliterated, as he would've done to anyone who dared challenge him or his friends. It was then that he sensed more than one aura behind him. He spun around with an enraged growl, and saw the same woman he thought he'd destroyed, sitting seductively on Dracula's lap, her left arm draped over his shoulder.

"You!" he spoke accusingly, black hatred in his heart at the very sight before him. "Enough of this farce, you are not Moka-san!"

"Does it matter," his enemy asked with an unrepentant smile, "we are all Lord Dracula's children, we are bound by his sovereign will." She then turned her back fully to him and pressed her exquisite torso against the evil overlord. "Only he can create the world that we desire," she continued, as she looked over her shoulder, a lustful grin on her pale face, "and the world you filthy humans deserve."

Tsukune screamed in satanic rage, infuriated by his nemesis' shameless disregard. He reared back his fist in hatred and unleashed another blast of seething black youki. It streaked forward in an instant and then exploded with tremendous force, which caused Tsukune to cover his face from the backlash.

The hybrid youth waited impatiently as the explosion slowly subsided. When he finally looked ahead, he watched as the dust cleared, and he found himself within a large translucent dome, which seemed to cover every part of the room. As he did a more thorough examination, he saw the only exception to that, was Dracula's throne, which was situated outside the dome. The former academy student growled in rage, as he realized he was trapped within a barrier, with both his enemies outside. "Cowards!" he declared in his anger. "Stop hiding behind these childish tricks and **face me!**"

A sinister chuckle came from the ersatz Moka. "Face _you,_" she asked pointedly as she looked over her shoulder, "just who do you think you are?"

Tsukune balked at the question, as he hadn't expected such an inquiry. He looked on in confusion as his enemy slid off her master's form, and then turned back to face him.

"We have lived for ages," the impostor continued, "we have watched kingdoms rise and fall. Millions have lived and died before us, yet we still remain." She then placed her hand on her left hip, a bemused look on her pale face. "And now you, a mere human, whose existence is so minute compared to ours, dare believe _you_ can command _us_? You believe we should meekly submit to _your_ standards?" Her slender nose crinkled as she sniffed disdainfully in response. "That is what your little friend believed, she saw herself as being above all other life-forms, _her,_" she continued with a sarcastic sneer, "a little girl who hadn't even lived twenty measly years and only surrounded herself with weaklings that couldn't have possibly threatened her. How delusional, but what can I expect from a mere child?"

"Shut up!" Tsukune shot back heatedly. "Don't dare you slander Moka-san!"

"Or else what, what will you do if I refuse your little request," she asked in mild defiance, as the barrier opened up before her and she gracefully passed through. "You seem to forget yourself, you are in our domain now, you _will_ play by our rules."

"I'll **never** play by your rules!" the hybrid youth shot back. "I'll kill you, Colton, _**AND**_ Dracula! **No one** will ever threaten me or my friends again, especially not trash like _**YOU!**_"

The sinister woman growled in annoyance, her face marred by a contemptuous sneer. "You begin to irritate me, boy," she spoke coldly, as her bloodied sword materialized in her hand. "It's time you learned your place."

"_**NEVER!**_" Tsukune screamed at the top of his lungs, as he streaked towards his opponent and reared back with his aura-enhanced fist. But as he lunged forth with his attack, his target vanished into mist and he sprawled forward, thrown off-balance by his own momentum. And before he could've stopped, he collided with the barrier, and screamed in agony as crackles of seething energy shot through his body.

He stumbled back, his body still smoking from his collision with the barrier. He hissed as he looked over his shoulder, and saw his enemy far behind him, hovering five feet off the floor as she gestured tauntingly with her free hand. With an incensed growl, he manifested his demonic aura and levitated above the floor. He flew straight towards his opponent, his fist cocked in seething anger. He unloaded with another powerful blow, yet his enemy floated casually to the right, and his attack hit nothing but air. He quickly recovered, streaked towards her and unleashed a devastating backhanded blow, but his enemy floated backwards out of harm's reach, and stopped near the edge of the barrier. Tsukune concentrated his power into his right fist, and emitted a primal scream as he flew straight for his enemy. But as he unloaded with his attack, his enemy phased out of existence, and his fist struck against the forcefield, which released a vicious discharge of inhuman power. As he screamed in pain, a cutting wave of energy struck him from behind, and he fell with a heavy thud onto the floor.

Tsukune groaned as he began to rise from the floor, wounded and incensed by the ersatz Moka. He quickly looked over his shoulder, and saw his opponent hovering behind him, a pleased expression on her pale face. He also noticed her sword glowing a dark shade of purple, and resonating with her youki. As soon as he saw her bring her sword back for a reverse slash, he quickly rolled out of the way. No sooner than he did that another cutting wave shot forth and gouged the floor where he once laid. He got up to one knee, but before he could've gotten on the offensive, he saw her sword glowing again, and quickly tumbled forward. A split second later, the sound of damaged stone came from his former position. He quickly rolled up to his fight, regained his bearing and saw his opponent behind him, her back temporarily to him. He quickly concentrated his energy, and just as his opponent turned around, shot a beam of black youki right at her. The silver-haired demoness warded herself with her left sleeve, which transformed into a huge bat wing just as the beam struck her. She was driven back eight feet, though she managed to stop her momentum.

Tsukune saw her at a disadvantage, so he quickly leaped up and hovered above the floor. He concentrated his immense youki, and channeled it into his right hand, which he then extended forth. "_**SCATTER TO THE WINDS!**_" he shouted, as he launched three spheres of burning dark energy. They traveled fifteen feet forward and exploded with devastating force, which shook the entire area under the barrier. "Hmph," he remarked with a bemused smirk, as the explosions slowly dissipated, "just _try_ and block that!" However, once the view ahead was clear, he saw no sign of his opponent, though he had an inkling that she hadn't been destroyed, which made him growl in aggravation.

He hastily looked about the area, and soon found her hovering to his left, her frame covered by her wing arm. "Ha! That won't stop **me!**" he shouted as he flew towards her, his fist reared back in anger. But before he reached her, his opponent flung her left arm out to the side, and a swarm of night black bats shot forth. Tsukune raised his arms in a crossing block, but was repeatedly lacerated and bitten by the merciless swarm. He frantically lashed out with alternating backhanded blows, yet the attack continued despite his efforts. Frustrated, the former academy student concentrated his youki, and released it in one colossal burst. The resulting expulsion of demonic energy vaporized the attacking bats, and knocked his enemy into the barrier, where she was shocked mercilessly by its crackling energy.

Once Tsukune recovered, he saw his opponent hovering near the edge of the barrier, as crackles of energy still shot around her. Her stooped posture indicated she'd been injured from the attack, which he found satisfying in light of current circumstances. At that moment, her image changed, and her night black gown was replaced by the familiar green blazer and faded yellow and brown checkerboard skirt of Youkai Academy. Tsukune gasped in shock, and horrified that he could've felt such pleasure in what he did. "Moka-san," he asked warily, saddened by her plight. He then recalled what had occurred earlier, and growled as he vigorously shook his head. "No," he said to himself, "that's not Moka-san, she'd never do this to me! _**NEVER!**_" he screamed in renewed rage, which easily overwhelmed his temporary feelings of sympathy, as he flew towards her and drove his knee hard into her stomach, which made the impostor groan in pain. He followed up with three more knees to the breadbasket, grabbed her by the shoulder and unloaded with a series of aura-enhanced blows, his fist glowing with the seething hatred he felt for his enemy who dared assume his beloved's shape. As he continued to assault her, a stabbing pain arose in his heart, and worsened with each blow. He groaned in aggravation, as he struggled to ignore his heartache, and focus on completely destroying his enemy. He grabbed her by the forehead, spun around and then brutally drilled the back of her skull right into the floor below, which shuddered and cracked from the tremendous impact.

The enraged youth then flew up into the air, reared back and began channeling his youki between his hands, as a black sphere of seething youki appeared. "Now you die!" he declared, as the sphere grew larger by the moment. "_**DESTRUCTION RAY!**_" He unleashed a massive beam of satanic youki, which bore straight down on the fallen foe. The result was a gargantuan explosion of demonic energy, which seemed to engulf the entire room and even raged against the edges of the barrier. After several seconds, the explosion subsided, which revealed a huge crater below, with black smoke rising from it.

Tsukune Aono looked down at where his enemy had laid, and found his hatred had not abated. However, neither had the pain in his heart, which had grown to an undeniable anguish. He grimaced where he levitated, as he desperately tried to will away the pain. Yet regardless of how many times he mentally asserted his opponent was not Moka Akashiya, his pain refused to relent. He involuntarily recalled his last dream of the pink-haired Moka, who harshly rebuked him for what happened in the chairman's office. He held the sides of his head in mortal anguish, as his mind replayed the moment he forcefully sealed Moka away, and cursed her to never awaken unless she embraced _his _ways. He then threw his head back and screamed in unimaginable torment, his anguish seemingly limitless. Overwhelmed by his wounded heart, he lost control of his powers and fell to the floor. He bounced up once, then tumbled forward and landed in a heap near the ruling seat.

Tsukune groaned in pain as he gingerly held his side. He feared he'd broken more than a couple of ribs in the fall, though he knew it was the least of his problems. As he struggled to regain his bearings, a sinister female chuckle came from nearby, which made him cringe. He looked to his left, and watched as a cloud of black mist arose from the floor. From the mist the silver-haired impostor arose, as if she'd come from the Abyss itself. He simply gaped as she towered over his fallen form. Though her face was bruised and her other injuries revealed through the tears in her gown, Tsukune cringed as he saw the truly malevolent smile on her face, as she peered down her nose towards him. He tried to avoid her ominous stare, but his wandering eyes were soon fixed upon the underside of her sizable breasts, partially exposed due to the low cut of her gown. The cut was low enough for Tsukune to have realized that his enemy wasn't wearing a bra, which resulted in a massive spray of blood leaving his nose, as well as a tightening of his trousers.

"Not so easy now," the impostor spoke in a dark seductive voice, "is it? But, I cannot say I'm, too surprised. After all," she continued, as she ran her long fingers through her silvery tresses, and arched her back slightly, "you only hurt the ones you love."

Tsukune Aono growled in aggravation, livid that his enemies were toying with his emotions and his loved ones yet again. He forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain that came from his injured ribs, as he grit his teeth together. "Enough of your games!" he shot back heatedly, as he continued to hold his side. "I'm putting an end to your sick, twisted ways! _**FOREVER!**_" He reared back with his right fist, but as he lunged forward, her form wavered and vanished. He looked on in disbelief, shocked that his attack had been avoided yet again. He didn't need to contemplate the matter too hard, as he saw her twenty feet away. "_Blast,_" he thought to himself, "_that was an afterimage!_"

"Come here," the ersatz Moka spoke in a beckoning, seductive voice, as her form seemed to split off to both her flanks. A moment later, three images of the former academy student's opponent hovered before him. Each version placed her slender fingertips to her crimson lips, and then blew Tsukune a kiss, each with a trail of ruby-colored sparkles behind them.

"You think that's gonna work on-" Before he got any further, the floating kisses made contact with him, and he grimaced as he felt his body stiffening rapidly. "_What's this,_" he mentally asked himself, "_I can't move!_"

"Now come out!" the impostor snapped, as two versions of her faded, and only the opponent on the right remained.

Tsukune watched as flew straight towards him, as he struggled to break free of his paralysis. But as she got within striking range, she phased out of existence yet again. Tsukune blinked in confusion, and then screamed as he felt two pairs of deadly fangs piercing his neck from behind, along with a pair of strong arms that bound him. He seethed in anger as his enemy stole more of his blood, not to mention caress the front of his bare torso. Infuriated beyond measure, he screamed in his limitless rage, and his ebony and crimson aura exploded around him. He was so enraged he didn't notice the ghastly wounds left behind when his enemy was forcefully removed from him. He spun around and glared menacingly at her, his hand firmly on his wounded neck as intense waves of murderous intent flowed from him.

"Ooh," the impostor spoke in dark ecstasy, wholly unrepentant as she slowly licked her upper lip, "delicious!" A satisfied hiss escaped her, as a sickening dark velvet aura surrounded her.

"How **dare** you!" Tsukune screamed in his fury, as his seething aura violently flared out. "How **dare** you make a mockery of everything Moka-san and I shared together! Miserable worm, I'll exterminate you and the rest of your-" He was cut off as the wound on his neck throbbed, which infuriated him to no end. Though the pain quickly subsided, he was still incensed at being violated so shamelessly.

As he grimaced, he saw the air shimmering to his left. When he looked fully in its direction, he saw a figure in a long gray coat, lying face down near the burnt remains of a former domicile. "Is that, my house," he asked in confusion, as he recalled the last nightmare he suffered.

"Oh my," his opponent spoke, her silky voice dripping with sardonic amusement, "are you truly turning your back on your enemy? That's very unwise, dear Tsukune."

The former academy student ignored her taunts, and walked forward towards the strange vision, unsure of how it appeared. It reminded him of the times he'd seen his own house in flames. He looked to the fallen figure in the long coat, and saw a wealth of silvery white hair sprawled in all directions, along with a gray woman's hat that lied nearby. "Is that, Moka-san?" The stirring his blood increased at the possibility, and was soon coupled with the warmth he felt whenever they were together back at the school. "It is!" he exclaimed. "It's Moka-san! Moka-san's at my house!"

"What is the meaning of this," the enthroned being demanded in obvious aggravation.

Tsukune focused on the vision before him, ignoring the pain he'd already suffered. "I've got to, go home," he said to himself, as a sliver of hope pulsed within his heart, "to Moka-san!"

Suddenly, his silver-haired enemy materialized between him and the strange image, a brooding glare on her pale face. "Hold it right there, boy!" she demanded, her fangs bared in anger. "You're _not_ going to escape me!"

"Get out of **my **_**WAY!**_" Tsukune shouted as she launched himself towards her, clothed in seething black aura. But once he got within striking range, his opponent manifested her own twisted youki, which clashed against his own and impeded his advance.

"I won't let you," the ersatz Moka growled, her eyes glowing with hatred as she struggled to halt the brown-haired youth's advance. "You belong to us, you belong to Lord Dracula!"

"I belong to nobody!" the sophomore countered, as he found himself exerting more energy to prevent from being pushed back. "I won't let you stop me!" he declared, as crackles of ebony and crimson energy shot around his body. "I've been through too much to give it all up now! I'm going back, I'm going to save, _**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_" he screamed at the top of his lungs, as his aura exploded with unimaginable vigor, and began pushing his opponent back towards the projection.

The false vampire concentrated her full demonic might, but found her efforts were being overpowered, and her hatred gave way to fear. "No," she uttered in horror and disbelief, "this cannot be! _**LORD DRACULAAAAAAA!**_" she shrieked as she was pushed into the astral projection. No sooner than she did that crackles of otherworldly energy shot in all directions. Streaks of dimensional energy smashed into the high walls of the ruling chamber, which shuddered and began to crumble. Large pieces of broken stone fell to the floor, and the entire throne room began to shake.

Down in the ruling seat, the sinister overlord scowled in response, visibly displeased by the current turn of events. He wasn't sure how the disturbing vision had reached his captive, though he was certain the human hadn't discovered it on his own. He frowned in disgust, as he suspected there was another player in the game. With that thought in mind, he rose from his seat, and glared at the brown-haired youth. "This is not over yet, boy," he promised, as he turned into mist and vanished. A few moments later, the energy released from Tsukune and his opponent colliding with the rift finally resulted in a titanic explosion, which engulfed the entire throne room as well as the entire dreamscape.

* * *

Tsukune gasped as he finally regained consciousness, and held his throbbing head. The headache he suffered far surpassed any migraine he'd experienced in his short life. "Am I, finally awake," he asked wearily, as he continued to hold his aching head. He absently rubbed his face, and his hand slid down to his chest, where he felt an unfamiliar roughness. He instinctively looked down, and saw a nasty scar on his chest. "When did this happen?" He struggled to remember what had occurred before he was captured, and soon learned the answer. "That's right, Colton."

He finally sat up, still weary from his dreadful nightmare. That, along with his stiff body, told him he'd been asleep for quite some time. He looked about the area, and found himself upon a raised altar within a small chamber. The dank air he inhaled told him he definitely wasn't outside, and reminded him of the tomb he and his friends examined back at the academy. He looked down at himself, and saw he was still in his brown academy trousers, along with his shoes. He also noted he wasn't injured, save for the scar Colton had given him.

"Where am I," he asked himself, a bewildered look crossed his face as he took in his surroundings. He then shivered from the coldness he felt, and instinctively wrapped his arms around himself. He slid off the altar and placed his feet on the floor. He stood there for several seconds, as he waited impatiently for the blood to flow into his legs again. He continued to shiver, not just from the cold air, but from the fact that he knew his enemies would've soon discovered he had awakened and come for him, so he planned to escape once he'd fully regained his equilibrium.

At that moment, the sound of a soft groan reached his ears. He looked behind him and saw a prone figure, its long blue hair sprawled everywhere as it lied face down on the floor, near a substantially cracked wall. A pair of large batlike wings protruded from its back. He noticed the strange being lied in the same direction as the where his head had lied on the altar. Curious, he walked over to get a better look. Through the long indigo tresses Tsukune discerned it was definitely female, and clad in nothing but a pair of high-heeled boots and fingerless leather gloves. The sight of her well-rounded posterior and shapely legs made him instinctively grab his nose, as blood immediately gushed from it.

It took him more than a few moments to get his mind and his hormones under control. He grit his teeth together, as though he surmised the woman was definitely a succubus, she was not ally of his, but of his sworn enemy, who'd plagued his dreams for countless nights. Whatever physical desires he might've still possessed were soon replaced by seething hatred, as he glared down at the fallen demon. "You," he began with a contemptuous sneer, "so you're the one who's been tormenting me. Cowardly wench, how **dare** you attack me in my sleep! But no longer," he continued, as he aimed his open right palm at his enemy. "Your worthless life ends here." A sphere of pulsating ebony and crimson energy appeared before his hand, as he channeled his hatred and rage into it, as he planned to extinguish the creature of darkness before him.

Suddenly, a strange whirling noise resounded from behind him, and an unseen object smashed him right in the back of the head, which made him keel over and canceled out his attack. He held the back of his head, growling in pain and aggravation from the obvious sneak attack, even more incensed by the cowardly tactics of his enemies.

"_So you've decided to rejoin us,_" a distorted voice asked from behind Tsukune, "_no matter, this shan't hinder the Master's plans._"

The brown-haired youth snarled angrily as he looked over his shoulder. Once he did, he saw six emerald floating orbs floating near the rear exit, which hummed with the same noise he'd heard before. A split second later, a wave of black fog erupted from the floor, and from it emerged a sinister looking man in a long red and purple robe. A lavender cloak hung from his back, with the cowl pulled back. The newcomer appeared pale and gaunt, though the malice that shone in his eyes demonstrated he was anything but feeble. "Who are you!" Tsukune snapped at the evil-looking man.

"_I don't believe you're in any position to be making demands_," the dark servant of Dracula replied, his voice a twisted mixture of nonchalance and annoyance. "_The preparations are not quite complete, so we can't have you being... troublesome, at the moment. Now be a good boy and lie back down until the Master summons you._"

"_**NO!**_" Tsukune shot back defiantly, trying to hide his chagrin over being discovered. "I will not be your plaything anymore! I will destroy _**EVERY**_ single one of you," he declared as he pointed at the new enemy, "and then I'll destroy Dracula! Then I'll go home with Moka-san, and none of you idiots will _**DARE**_ threaten us again!"

"_And you really think it's going to be that simple,_" the sinister man asked with an unimpressed look as he crossed his thin arms. "_Hmph, you have no idea what's in store for you, boy._"

"Silence!" the brown-haired youth retorted, enraged at being so casually dismissed. "Your empty threats don't scare me! I'm gonna tear you limb from limb, and _then_ you'll know what fear is!"

A bemused feminine chuckle came from behind him. "My my," a familiar voice remarked, "aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself, Tsukune?"

The former academy student immediately spun around, livid and insulted that the female demon was trying to deceive him yet again. "Don't you even try to-" He stopped in mid-sentence, as he found himself looking at the form of the silver-haired Moka, who lied seductively upon the altar, with not an article of clothing on her body. He tried to cover his nose, but a massive amount of blood gushed from it regardless, as lewd images of his precious friend appeared in his mind. His chagrin grew even more as he felt a familiar tightening in his pants. He tightly shut his eyes and his shook his head, as he desperately tried to push the disturbing thoughts from the forefront of his mind.

"Oh my," the temptress spoke with a lewd smile, "you're such a naughty boy, Tsukune." She rolled onto her back, and arched it upwards slightly, as she glanced sidelong towards him. "Thinking of me sexually now, are you? I do believe I need to remind you of your place."

Tsukune groaned audibly as he struggled to maintain his sanity, though the position the woman was in, coupled with her state of undress, was seriously starting to interfere with his capacity for rational thought. Though deep down he knew it was an impostor, the sight before him was all but completely overwhelming. Gathering his willpower, and shutting his eyes, he raised both his fists overhead and emitted a primal scream. A split second later, he smashed his fists down, and felt the altar crumbling beneath his aura-enhanced blow.

He stood still for several seconds, as he struggled to catch his breath after the ordeal he'd just endured. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw a huge cloud of dust before him. He brushed it aside with his hands, and saw the broken remains of altar he'd once lied upon. His fists shook before him, and though he saw no evidence of his enemy's remains, he desperately hoped she'd been crushed by his attack, and unable to torment him any longer.

Suddenly, he gulped in horror as he felt two large mounds pressed into his back, which threw his hormones into overdrive. "Oh come now, Tsukune," his unseen enemy spoke, mild yet noticeable hurt in her voice, "don't be like that. Didn't you always want to be together with me," she asked, as she sensuously rubbed up and down his back, her slender hands laid gently on his shoulders.

Tsukune froze in place, as it felt like a literal tsunami of blood was rushing into his pants, coupled with an unspoken command for release. The former academy student gaped in horror, as he felt like his body was rebelling against him. And though he tried not to focus on it, his mind kept going back to the seductive movements of the woman behind him. "So soft," he spoke absently, unable to deny what he felt. He warily looked over his shoulder, and his eyes went wide as he saw the woman's bare breasts upon him. "So _big!_" The very sight sent his mind racing. "_My gosh,_" he thought to himself, "_was she always this big? She's nearly as big as Ageha-san, or... Ririko-san._" He groaned in mental and physical anguish, as the front of his pants seemed to be on the verge of exploding.

"It's alright, Tsukune," the demoness spoke with a surprisingly vulnerable look, "gaze upon me. I'd do this for no other man but you."

The former sophomore spun around in shock, his eyes as wide as saucer plates. He found himself getting lost in the soft ruby gaze of the woman before him, as his mind started to become cloudy. "Moka-san."

"Yes, Tsukune, don't keep me waiting anymore. Don't you want this, Tsukune," she asked, as she motioned to her naked body. "I've been saving it just for you."

The brown-haired youth gaped in shock, touched deeply by what he'd just heard, as his vision became blurred by a rose-colored haze.

"Please, Tsukune," the silver-haired diva implored, "I don't want to be alone anymore. Stay with me," she went on, as she reached forward and wrapped her slender arms around his torso, "forever. That's all I've ever wanted."

Horror was written all over Tsukune's face, as his mind was torn between undeniable lust and sheer panic. His torment grew even more as he felt the woman before him pressing her entire torso fully against his own, as her nether regions met his own, with mortifying results. The fact that she'd buried her face into the crook of his neck, one of Moka's favorite positions, made his plight even more dire. His breathing became rapid, and he felt like he was on the verge of going insane. Gathering all his willpower, he screamed in immeasurable anguish as he released his demonic power. He continued to scream, and even though he'd been freed from the demoness' clutches, he still felt guilty over what had just occurred.

After several long moments, he hunched over in exhaustion, greatly winded after the release of his power. In between long breaths he looked up, and saw the demoness had been blown back to the far side of the room, where the sinister priest stood, his emerald orbs acting as a shield. He looked on in fear, aghast that they could've had such power over him. He frantically spun around, summoned his demonic aura, and smashed through the rear wall, which made the whole room shudder from the impact.

The robed man instinctively shielded his face, and waited for the dust and debris to have settled. Once it did, he looked ahead and saw a huge hole in the rear wall, and the prisoner further up, desperately trying to escape. He looked down at the fallen succubus, very annoyed that the boy had managed to resist her powers. He then looked towards the newly made hole, disgust all over his pale, wrinkled face. "_**AFTER HIM!**_" he commanded as he pointed towards the opening.

* * *

Tsukune frantically ran down the ominous hallway, and saw several corpses in various states of decay on the floor as he passed by, and more than a few in unforgiving cells, sealed forever by iron grates. The ghostly blue torches that lined the corridor only made the area look more spectral, not to mention terrifying, much more so than the dungeon he and his friends had explored on campus. He didn't want to imagine how many people had died in the halls he ran through, he focused entirely on his escape.

"I don't believe it," he said to himself as he continued to run, "I can't believe I-" His guilt and despair seemed limitless, as he mercilessly berated himself for his near capitulation to his enemy's charms. "Such horrible power, she makes Kurumu look like nothing!"

He quickly took the corner ahead, but soon saw a tall armored figure headed his way, a huge warhammer on its shoulder. The brown-haired youth gaped in fear as he desperately tried to stop his momentum. As he did, he saw the enemy ahead had picked up its own pace, which meant it had detected him. "Die!" the knight shouted from behind its full helmet, as it grasped its hammer with both hands and reared back. Tsukune spun wildly to the side just as the huge head of his opponent's weapon came crashing down on his former position. The former academy student winced, as he imagined what would've happened if the heavy blow had connected. He quickly decided against engaging the enemy and simply ran past him before he could've recovered from his attack.

Tsukune looked over his shoulder as he ran, and noticed his enemy falling further behind. He quickly deduced the knight wasn't capable of running in his obviously heavy armor, and breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked ahead, and saw his relief was short-lived, as another evil knight came into view. Its armor looked thinner than that of its compatriot, not to mention was a lighter shade of green, its helmet was oddly-shaped, and it seemed to have difficulty maintaining its balance, as it stumbled towards Tsukune. In its right hand was a bizarre bladed weapon that meandered like a river. The knight skillfully threw its weapon in the air, and then caught it by the handle. He then threw it forward, and it spun like a buzzsaw as it headed towards Tsukune, who leaped out of the way with a frightened yelp. He looked on, and saw the weapon acted like a boomerang and returned to its wielder. The armored figured caught his blade and then lumbered towards Tsukune. The knight thrust forward with lightning speed and caught Tsukune in the stomach, which made him jump back. The youth held his gut, and felt the blood that flowed from in between his fingers. The knight moved in again, and reared back for an overhead slash. Tsukune responded by quickly jumping back. As the knight was still extended from its attack, the formerly human student moved in and kicked it in the head, which made the knight wildly stagger back. The sophomore would've moved in, but then he heard a second set of footsteps, which came from behind. He looked over his shoulder, and gaped in horror as he saw the huge knight who wielded a warhammer had caught up to him. "Die!" the newcomer said as it reared back with its huge weapon. Tsukune quickly ran towards his second opponent, sped past him and nailed him with an elbow on the way by, which knocked him into the unforgiving stone wall beside him.

The brown-haired youth scampered down the hall, still holding his wounded stomach. He heard a single set of footsteps from behind, coupled with the sound of a blade being scraped against stone. What he found curious what the footsteps sounded like they came from polished leather shoes instead of armored boots. He quickly shook it off and forged ahead. Suddenly, from the darkness at the other end of the corridor emerged a sickly green skeleton, with three hollow eye sockets. Its third eye glowed menacingly, and Tsukune quickly jumped aside as it fired an intense beam of energy from its ribcage. The Aono lad quickly saw an opening, and rushed in as the skeleton's third eye glowed again. He drove his fist into the enemy's ribcage, which practically imploded from the intense impact, and it collapsed in a pile of broken bones.

He looked down, and saw the skull looking up towards him, its third eye still glowing. The formerly human student quickly balled up his fist, used his aura to augment his strength, and drove it down into the lifeless cranium, which disintegrated upon impact. After that, a small orb of greenish light arose from the broken skeletal remains. It flew around Tsukune several times, and then shot right into his chest. He cried out in surprise from the sudden infusion of energy, and instinctively held his chest. "What in the world was that," he asked, taken aback by the unexplained phenomenon.

"**Tsukune,**" an echoing female voice called longingly from the darkness behind him, which made him scream and instantly run in the opposite direction.

Tsukune took the next right and kept going, desperately trying the image of Moka's voluptuous form out of his mind. It mortified him that his enemies were, in a sense, using her against him. His chagrin was so intense that he closed his eyes in midstride and tried to clear his mind. But in the process, he found himself colliding with an unseen metal object and he fell back onto the floor.

The brown-haired youth quickly sat up and shook his head, trying to recover from the unforeseen collision. He looked ahead, and saw another huge knight with an oversized maul ten feet away, who was currently on a single knee. "Oh crap," the former academy student remarked in horror, "not another one!" He pushed himself to his feet and tried to run past the knight, but the armored figure arose faster than he'd expected and drove its thick metal boot right into Tsukune's stomach, which made him groan in pain and stumble back. The knight followed up with a fierce jab from its maul, which staggered the former academy student even more. He fell to one knee, as the pain from his previous wound flared up again. As he looked up from his position, he saw the knight had moved to within striking range. "Die!" he screamed as he reared back with his maul. Tsukune quickly rolled forward just as the huge head of the warhammer slammed onto his previous position. He rolled up onto his feet, and sped down the hall.

Tsukune saw a turn ahead and quickly took it. However, he soon saw it was a bad move, as he found himself on a short broken walkway. He was barely able to stop himself before he went over the edge. He looked down, and nearly lost himself in terror as he saw a huge chasm beneath where he stood, with no bottom in sight. He paused for a moment to get his nerves under control, then turned back. No sooner than he did that he saw the maul-wielding knight approaching from the other end. Tsukune looked about, and saw little room to have dodged the armored opponent, who slowly made his way towards his target. "Die!" the knight screamed, and the brown-haired youth quickly sped by him as he reared back with his warhammer. The armored figure lunged forward, and smashed his huge maul onto the ledge. Before he could've recovered, Tsukune got behind him, and used his aura-enhanced strength to shove the knight off the ledge. Its screams echoed throughout the chasm as it fell. The brown-haired youth looked down, and watched as the knight descended into the darkness below and disappeared.

Tsukune made his way back into the hallway, and looked both ways for enemies. The sound of a single set of footsteps came from his right, so he quickly ran in the opposite direction. He saw a wide staircase at the very end, which descended deeper into the labyrinth. As he knew there wasn't time to have discerned an alternative route, he made his way downstairs.

The former academy student saw a lone corridor ahead, lined with eerie green torches on both sides. As he made his way forward, a strange whirring noise came from nearby. Tsukune was confused at first, but felt that he'd heard it before, which he knew wasn't a good thing. His fears were soon confirmed, as all the torches in the corridor simultaneously went out, which left him in complete darkness.

Tsukune tried hard not to scream, as he feared it would've given away his location. However, it did nothing to change his predicament, which had just taken a turn for the worse. "Oh no," he said to himself, "this is bad. What do I do now?" Suddenly, the blood within him seethed indignantly, and he involuntarily bared his fangs in anger. "Miserable creatures," he growled in a menacing voice, "how **dare** they toy with me! They shall all **suffer** for their impudence!" Tsukune then groaned in pain, as he struggled to maintain control. "No! I can't fight them yet! Especially not-" He grimaced in anguish, as the image of the unclothed Moka appeared in his mind. To make matters worse, her image leaned over seductively and blew him a kiss, which made him freak out in response.

Livid at what just occurred, the lone youth screamed in satanic rage, and unintentionally manifested his aura. "Get out of my mind, you disgusting whore! I'll tear you apart along with the rest of your wretched kind!" The former academy student growled as he struggled to get his raging power under control, before it overrode his consciousness again. "That's enough!" he snapped sternly. "We'll never defeat them like this, we're not strong enough!" He grit his teeth together, ashamed that he'd admitted the obvious, but knew trying to prove otherwise might've proven fatal. "We need to escape," he asserted, "we'll deal with them another time."

The Aono lad felt a great sense of annoyance within his mind, but no further argument. Instead, he felt his senses expanding well beyond their previous state, which frightened him for a moment and brought on a serious headache. He held his head for several moments, as he waited for the headache to subside. As he did, he felt countless demonic auras, heard very loud banging sounds from deeper within the darkness, along with an immeasurable amount of evil around him. He was all but certain that he'd been taken to Dracula's castle, which reaffirmed his notion that escape was the best course of action.

Once the headache passed, he slowly straightened up, and looked on ahead. He was quite surprised to have learned that even though there was no light in the general vicinity, he could've still seen the corridor ahead. He looked on himself, and was quite awed by his increased musculature. Though it wasn't the physique of a professional bodybuilder, its definition was strength was undeniable, usually the result of years of intense training. The power coursing within him was far greater than what he wielded when he confronted Shuzen for the new Rosario. "Yes," he said to himself, "I acquired this strength, to protect everyone. To protect, you Moka-san. Hold on, I'm coming."

He made his way down the corridor with his improved vision, trying to ignore the temptation to turn back and attack his enemies, though he knew it remained. Suddenly, a hint of movement came from ahead and he instinctively jumped back, a split second before a previously concealed axe swung across the hall and embedded itself in the wall beside him. Tsukune groaned to himself, shivering as he realized if he hadn't avoided the coming blow, he might've been chopped in half. He took it as another reminder that he wasn't in the academy any longer, but in a stronghold of pure evil that desired his death.

He took the next corner, and was shocked as he saw six square spiked platforms, each the width of the entire corridor, slamming down onto the floor from the ceiling. Tsukune waited for a few moments, and saw the platforms fell in consecutive order. Once the first one had all but receded back into the ceiling, he quickly made a break for it, as the traps slammed down behind him. He continued forward towards a steel section of the floor. But as soon as he stepped on it, the whole section tilted, and Tsukune collided head on with the unforgiving steel surface. He then fell into the darkness below, as the steel portion closed over him.

The brown-haired youth as he found himself on a cold stone floor, looking up a steel ceiling. "Blast," he grumbled to himself, "another trap." With an aggravated scowl, he shot to his feet, manifested his power and flew up towards the ceiling. Suddenly, the steel section flipped over again, which revealed a plethora of deadly metal spikes. Tsukune quickly backed off with a startled cry, mortified that he'd nearly flown into them. Discouraged, he landed back on the floor, and looked about the area. He found himself in another dungeon corridor, with the torches unlit. Yet even in the pitch black hallway, he could've seen clearly, which he found rather surprising. However, his relief was short-lived, as the sound of footsteps coupled with steel scraping came from the west end, so he quickly turned and ran in the other direction.

Tsukune sped past the old ruined cells, fearful that his enemies were still pursuing him. Soon another evil knight came into view, similar to the armored warriors that attacked him and his friends outside the academy tomb. The knight hurled a medium-sized axe forward, which spun end over end as it neared Tsukune. The hybrid youth easily dodged it, and watched as it returned to the knight. The armored warrior then performed an underhanded throw, and his weapon spun towards Tsukune's knees. The former academy student jumped into the air, as the axe passed harmlessly under him, and then returned to its wielder. The knight threw out his weapon once more, and the lone youth watched as it spun through the air. Once it got close enough, he reached out and grabbed it by the handle. With wasting another second, he rushed in with a fierce battle cry and brought his newly acquired weapon down on his enemy's helmet. The sheer force of the blow sliced right through his protective armor, and Tsukune watched as both halves fell to the floor.

The hybrid youth looked on in awe at what he'd just wrought, then to the weapon in his hand. "Did I really do that," he asked himself, amazed that he'd caught the approaching weapon in midair, and used it with such deadly precision. He then tightened his grip on the axe handle, as he exhaled through clenched teeth. "But it's not enough, I need to get stronger."

He continued up the hallway, and saw another axe-wielding knight ahead of him. The enemy became aware of him as well, as it menacingly approached. It threw out its weapon, and Tsukune brutally knocked it aside. He then rushed in and cleaved the enemy in two, just like its predecessor. He took the next right, and found four more knights headed his way. He quickly dodged to the left as one of the enemies threw out its bladed weapon. He then rushed in and chopped the evil knight in half. As its remains fell to the floor, he turned to the next enemy, swiped off its head with one blow, then cleaved its body for good measure. He then saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. He looked to his left, and saw another knight had hurled its axe towards him. He swung his own and deflected it, and sent it right into the helmet of the last knight. He quickly moved in on the stricken enemy, concentrated his energy into his weapon, then swung it in a wide arc, which unleashed a crimson wave of energy in its wake, and sliced the injured knight in two.

As its remains fell to the floor, Tsukune turned to the remaining enemy, as his eyes glowed with crimson fire. "You're the last one," he spoke ominously, "and you're defenseless. What will you do now?"

An aggravated growl came from behind the knight's helmet. He raised his right hand into the air, and a spectral blue luminescence appeared above it. The nebulous aura soon solidified, and assumed the shape of a gigantic axe, with a fifteen foot long shaft, and a thick curved blade that protruded six feet from it.

"I had to ask," the hybrid youth remarked, his eyes shrunk into little black dots, and a sweatdrop running down the side of his head. He also absently released his own weapon, which clattered noisily on the floor. He quickly ran past the knight as it smashed his new weapon hard onto the floor, as a shower of sparks erupted as a result.

Tsukune glanced over his shoulder as he ran, and saw the knight had begun to pursue him. The very thought made him grimace, and he cursed himself for underestimating his opponent. But as soon as he looked ahead, he found himself looking at an imposing set of steel double doors, with heavy ring handles on each one. He also felt a very powerful aura behind them. Though nowhere nearly as strong as Dracula or Colton, he knew it was most likely a very difficult opponent. He quickly looked about the area, and saw the hallway ran to the left. He decided against the dangerous route and headed down the corridor.

Tsukune raced down the winding corridor, trying to ignore the decadence about him, along with the malevolent aura of his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps headed his way, which sounded like they came from armored boots. A couple of moments later, another tall knight, clad in faded orange armor and wielding two long swords, emerged from the darkness at a surprising pace. The enemy lunged forward with his right blade, which Tsukune just barely dodged. He then unloaded with a vicious blow to his opponent's armored chest, which made him stagger back a step. "Take that!" the knight snapped, as he kicked the hybrid youth flush in the stomach, which hurt him a lot more than he'd expected. He retaliated with another blow, with again staggered the evil knight. "Take that!" the armored warrior snapped, and kicked Tsukune again. Incensed, the former academy student nailed him again in the chestplate, which began to bend and crack under the force of his vicious blows. "Take that!" the knight retorted heatedly, and planted his armored boot right in his opponent's stomach, which knocked the wind out of him for a second. He looked up from his vantage point, and saw the knight backed up a step, and raised both swords overhead. As he began to slash downwards, the hybrid youth quickly reached up and took hold of his wrists, thus halting his attack. He then channeled his youki into his arms, and began tightening his grip on his enemy. He felt the metal buckling under the intense pressure, along with other cracking and crunching noises. Finally, he completely clenched his fists shut, and watched as his enemy's hands, still holding their respective blades, snapped off and fell to the floor, coupled with an agonized cry. Tsukune then reared back with his right fist, and then drove it through his enemy's armored chest, and out the back. He then pulled it out, and watched as his defeated enemy fell to the ground.

The hybrid youth looked down at his latest victim, quite pleased with the results. Suddenly, an orange orb emerged from its remains, encircled Tsukune and then plunged into his chest. He staggered back several steps, and held his sternum. "This is just like before," he remarked, as he recalled his fight against the evil skeleton. "What is this?"

He continued down the hall, and noted there were no more cells lining the walls. Suddenly, a huge stone wall slammed down behind him, thus cutting off the way back. He immediately spun around, and realized his plight. "No!" he cried out, as he slammed both hands against the wall. Yet even with his vampiric strength, the obstruction didn't so much as budge. He ceased his efforts, and exhaled heavily. "Blast, does this mean they've found me?"

Tsukune ran up further down the hall, which came to a sudden stop. He quickly looked about the area for another route, but found none. It was then that another wall slammed down, fifteen feet from him. His eyes went wide, and his breathing came in short spurts, as he found himself shivering again. "No! It's- it's-"

"**Is it indeed,**" an echoing voice spoke seductively, which made the hybrid youth nearly jump out of his shoes. He nervously looked about the area, desperately trying to find his enemy. At that moment, he felt a strange sensation from the floor. He looked down, and watched in horror as the ersatz Moka emerged right before him, a lewd smile on her pale face. "Oh come now," she spoke with feigned hurt, "don't be like that, we've just gotten to know each other," she spoke sensually, as she wrapped her arms around Tsukune's hips and pressed her ample bosom forward.

The hybrid youth all but lost his mind as the demoness' huge chest was pressed against his most private area. Moreover, he felt her delicate hands lightly stroking his posterior, which made his plight even more dire. He grimaced in anguish, as his manhood responded to the sinister being's charms.

"Ooh, how succulent," the silver-haired vixen cooed, as she pulled back and eyed the area in question. "And to think, this is only the beginning." She then arose further from the floor, and she brushed her bare breasts against Tsukune's torso on the way up. "I can hardly wait to view the... finished product."

"What do you mean," the formerly human student asked, trying to stop quivering.

The nefarious being chuckled as she looked him right in the eye, her crimson lips stretched into a dark smile. Tsukune nervously looked down, and when he finally got past her more sexual parts, which took more effort than he would've desired, he saw her feet were slightly bent behind her, and hovering off the floor, as was the rest of her luscious body. He instinctively pressed himself against the wall, desperately trying to escape the salacious being before him.

"A good work has begun in you," the demoness replied, as she floated towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "And once it is finished, you shall become-" She habitually pressed her huge chest into Tsukune as she leaned towards his ear. "-a god," she finished in a breathy whisper.

The brown-haired youth snapped his head in her direction, shocked by what he'd just heard. "A god?"

"Yes, and at that juncture, humanity will seem so... impotent," she finished with a lewd grin.

Tsukune winced in chagrin, embarrassed by her choice of words.

"_That's quite enough,_" a distorted male voice spoke irritably, "_you've revealed too much already._"

The hybrid youth leaned his head against the wall, as more disturbing images came to his mind. He quickly shook it off and looked ahead. He watched as a cloud of black smoke arose from the floor, and from it emerged the evil man he saw before.

"_You've been enough of a nuisance,_" the newcomer spoke with a contemptuous sneer, "_just give up so you don't make even more of a fool of yourself._"

"Never!" Tsukune shot back defiantly as she pushed the lewd demoness off of him. "I already told you, I am _not_ your plaything! I will never forgive you for what you've done to me, to my friends, to Moka-san! _**ANY**_ of you!" he shouted as he pointed towards the silver-haired impostor, who floated away with a fearful look.

"_We do not need your consent, boy,_" the robed man remarked with a scowl, "_your fate is in our hands now, you may as well resign yourself to it._"

"_**NO!**_" the hybrid youth screamed as he manifested his ebony and crimson aura. "I will _**NEVER**_ bend to your will!" he declared as he began to hover above the ground. "And for all evil and suffering you people have caused me, you are_** ALL CONDEMNED TO DEATH!**_"

At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from all around Tsukune, coupled with the scraping of steel against stone. "**Would you care to repeat that,**" an echoing voice spoke from the darkness, "**I ****didn't quite hear you.**"

The brown-haired youth nearly screamed in terror when he heard the voice, as he finally realized who else had been following him. His frightened eyes looked to the far wall, and he watched as a spectral figure passed through, its right arm outstretched, with a long blade extended from under its sleeve. The tip of the blade scraped against the wall, which left behind a trail of sparks. The entity expertly slashed its weapon across the air, then retracted it as its arm fell by its side. Tsukune pressed himself against the wall, terrified of the man who became fully corporeal before him. "Colton!"

The bald man placed his left hand in the crook of his opposite elbow as he regarded the frightened youth. "You surprise me," he mused casually as he walked across the hall. "I hadn't expected you to awaken so soon, and you managed to give us quite a merry chase. But no more," he continued as he turned to face his prisoner. "As previously stated, there's nowhere left to run. You won't be able to defeat any of us, let alone all of us," he went on, as he motioned to his cohorts. "And even if you somehow managed to do so, my... friends would be rather... displeased with that."

"Friends," Tsukune inquired timidly.

Colton smiled darkly as he motioned towards the sealed off wall. No sooner than he did that it rose into the ceiling, and revealed an army of monsters behind him. They were comprised of three-eyed skeletons, hammer-wielding knights, dual sword knights, and several axe-wielding knights, including the one with the gigantic weapon slung over his shoulder. The brown-haired youth couldn't help but scream at the gathered throng of evil before him. "Where'd they come from? Were they hiding behind that door?"

"I doubt that's very relevant at this juncture," the servant of Dracula replied in an offhand manner. "As you can plainly see, this is very much a _dead end._"

Tsukune screamed in sheer terror at his enemy's final words.

"_**No,**_" a booming inhuman voice spoke within his mind, "_**it is not.**_"

The hybrid youth gasped in response, and fearfully looked about the area. "Wh-what?"

"_**Do not despair,**_" the voice spoke mentally, "_**salvation lies just over your shoulder.**_"

"_What's going on here,_" the robed man asked with a confused look. He turned to the demoness, who looked just as perplexed. He turned to the man in the purple coat, who had a simmering look on his pale face.

The former academy was visibly beside himself, incredulous at what he'd just heard. "What are you saying, that's a solid wall!"

"_**It is not a wall, it is the gate to your freedom. Summon your power and break through!**_"

"Oh no you don't!" Colton called out, as he lashed his right arm out to the side. As he did, a curved blade, which was attacked to a very long rod, shot forth. He quickly caught the weapon, swung it in several deadly arcs, and then brandished it menacingly at Tsukune. "You're not going anywhere."

The hybrid youth screamed and summoned all of his youki, which exploded forth in a titanic aura of demonic power. Though he knew he risked being overwhelmed by it, he saw no other option. As the power coursed through his body, he held on to his true desire; to return home and be with his friends.

"What incredible power," the silver-haired demoness spoke as she shielded her face with her slender arm, fearful and yet exultant by the monstrous energy being released.

"You will _not escape,_" the bald man declared, as his voice became distorted, and took on a more sinister tone. The release of Tsukune's aura had stopped his advance, and he was forced to guard himself with his even deadlier blade.

"**You have no power over me,**" the hybrid youth proclaimed in an ominous dual voice, as he hovered two feet off the floor. "**I shall leave for now, but I shall return. And on that day, I will cast you **_**ALL**_** into the abyss of eternal torment, as you have done to me, and to **_**MOKA-SAN!**_"

"Tsukune!" the silver-haired impostor called out, as she stretched out her hand towards him.

The former human slowly turned in midair, until he faced the rear wall. With a rising growl, he surged forward with incredible speed and smashed through the wall with devastating force, which resulted in a huge explosion of demonic energy that shook the entire corridor, as dust and pieces of debris rained down from the ceiling. Moreover, large chunks of broken stone shot towards Colton and his associates. The robed man and the unclothed demoness avoided the oncoming debris, while the bald man cleaved every stone that neared him.

Around thirty seconds later, the explosion died down, and the dust finally settled. Everyone looked ahead, and saw the rear wall had been completely destroyed. More than that, whatever lied beyond it had collapsed in on itself, making the way forward inaccessible for the time being. The bald man exhaled in a clearly inhuman manner, as he tightened the grip on his blade. The evil priest looked all but completely dumbfounded, as his long fingers twitched nervously by his sides.

"_This isn't possible,_" he began in disbelief, "_what made him think to break through to the surface?_"

"_**He had help,**_" Colton replied in a truly demonic voice, as he turned to his cohorts with a look of infinite contempt. "_**Find him!**_"

"_Yes, my Lord,_" the evil priest quickly replied, then began giving orders to the minions gathered around.

The bald man turned back to the demolished wall, his hate seething more than it had in the past ten years. "_**You dare interfere with us again,**_" he spoke towards the blockade. "_**Your meddling shall cost you dearly, I assure you.**_"

* * *

Deep within the Carpathian Alps, a single solitary mountain stood above the others, the summit enshrouded by a deep fog. None had traveled near it in the past ten years, and it was unlikely anyone would in the very near future, as it was deemed a forbidden zone after the great struggle had ended.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted near the summit, and a single figure flew out and began tumbling down the mountainside, his body repeatedly bouncing off the rocky surface. It continued for well over a minute, until it finally stopped near the edge of a small cliff, that veered off the only path upwards.

The lone figure groaned in obvious pain, suffering many broken bones from the tragic fall, which would've killed a lesser being. After several agonizing moments, the stranger rolled onto his side and supported himself with his right arm, as his left was broken in the fall. "What happened," he asked in a hoarse voice, as he slowly turned towards the mountains before him. "Where am I?" His agonized face soon registered fear and despair, as he clearly didn't recognize what lied over the horizon. He grimaced for several moments, as the reality of his situation slowly sunk in. "_**MOKA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!**_"

* * *

Deep within a great forest was a simple village, located just on the outskirts of the mountain range. The most noteworthy landmark was the statue of a powerful man, clad in a decidedly foreign attire, with a sash wrapped around his waist. The monument was situated in the middle of the village.

As the people went about their nightly chores, a faint booming noise came from the mountains. After that, a cold chill swept in from the same direction, followed by the sound of thunder was heard. The frightened cries of the wildlife outside the village made its inhabitants even more anxious, as they turned towards the direction of the disturbance.

"What on earth was that," a young townswoman asked, fear present in her green eyes.

"Is it an omen," another young woman asked with a matching expression.

An elderly man pushed down on his cane and rose from his seated position. He held his bearded chin with his free hand and looked out into the distance. After several seconds, his eyes suddenly shot wide. "It cannot be!" he exclaimed in shock as he staggered back. "The devil lives?"

"Impossible!" a young man declared. "Our Lord destroyed the devil! He cannot return!"

"Oh yeah," a somewhat unrefined and skeptical woman inquired of him. "Then what do you call _that,_" she asked accusingly, as she pointed towards the mountains.

"This- this cannot be!" the man cried out, his hands trembling in fear.

"What are we going to do," the second woman asked, just as fearful as the others.

"Have faith, my brethren!" a powerful voice called out. "The time for valor has returned!"

The townslady turned in the direction of the voice, and clasped her hands together as her deep blue eyes all but glowed with adoration. "My Lord!" she exclaimed with a beaming smile, which revealed her somewhat elongated incisors.

Everyone else turned and saw a tall muscular man, clad in the same attire worn by the immortalized figure behind him. He stood proudly with his fists ground into his hips. His messy dark brown hair was held back by a red band, and a gleaming heroic grin was plastered on his roguish face. Around his thick neck was a silvery pendant, with a wolf's head as the centerpiece.

"There is no need to fear!" the newcomer announced to the gathered throng. "I shall go forth and slay the devil," he continued, as he pointed his right index finger into the air, "as my father did before me, and as my namesake did in ancient times! Dracula shall learn his evil power is no match for the champion of the moon! Stand watch, as he is vanquished from this world once more!"

"Yes!" the exuberant villager exclaimed as she leaped into the air. "Our Lord shall save us from the devil! Oh, I am bursting with joy!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Crina," the unconvinced woman snapped, "before you burst out of that dress!"

The blonde woman scowled at her fellow villager.

"As for you, my Lord," the critical villager continued, obvious sarcasm in her voice, "why should we believe you'll destroy the devil when your father failed miserably?"

"He did not fail!" the boisterous male retorted. "He destroyed that demon and personally sent him to the fiery pits of Hell!"

"Then why is he alive and your sire is dead?"

"Because he's an idiot! He believes himself safe because he somehow managed to evade my father, but now he's within **my** reach. Under the light of this very moon," he continued as he pointed to the celestial body in the nighttime sky, "I shall bring down our justice upon him and make him wish he was _back_ in Hell."

"**Yes!**" Crina declared, as she bounced happily in place. "With our Lord behind us, we've nothing to fear!"

"Dracula shall be vanquished by the light of the moon!" the previously anxious man declared.

"All hail our Lord!" the first townswoman added. "The champion of the heavens!"

The elderly man sighed in relief, and nodded in concurrence as he approached the heroic figure. "Go then, my son," he spoke in a more composed yet still confident voice, "and cast the devil down into the abyss from whence he came."

"Sure thing, old man," the courageous man replied, his right thumb pointed towards the sky. "Wait here for the news of my eternal victory!" With a blinding flash, he streaked out of the village, headed towards the foreboding mountains where the sinister aura was felt.

The first woman sighed in rapturous elation. "There he goes," she began with a blissful smile, "our champion of the moon."

"He's going to die," the skeptical townsperson added, "just like his father."

"Still thine faithless tongue, Andreea!" the hero's admirer sharply retorted. "He has the strength of his father and his lineage behind him, he cannot fail!"

"That's what worries me."

* * *

Not far from the desperate youth lied an old cathedral, weathered by the elements for centuries, its purpose long forgotten. The snow-covered path that led from it was clear of tracks, which indicated no one had traveled to or from the temple in some time. Moreover, an intricate magical seal was woven over the only entrance, and thus discouraged any thieves who might've considered ransacking the old temple. A great air of solitude hung about the ancient structure, though there were no one in the immediate area who could've felt it.

Suddenly, one of the windows near the top floor flew open, and a figure in a black cowled robe looked towards the imposing mountain in the distance, from which the rumble of unnatural thunder came. The figure stood for several seconds, its eyes concealed behind its hood. "It can't be," it spoke in a troubled voice, "how could he have survived? There should've mean no means to-"

The shrouded being stopped in mid-sentence, and emitted a deep, mournful sigh. The figure was only too aware of the implications of what it sensed from the forbidden mountain, where the struggle had supposedly ended ten years before. "But there is no time for regrets," the figure spoke up, "the devil must be slain, or this world will never know peace."

The mysterious being discarded its robe, which revealed a lithe feminine form clad in a strange dress, which had an armored bodice that left her shoulders and back bare. Long gloves reached from her hands to just below her shoulders, which were decorated by runic markings. A long wealth of midnight colored hair flowed behind her, as her watery blue eyes were unreadable. She gracefully climbed onto the window sill, crouched down and launched herself from the ledge. "_**VOLATICUS!**_" she shouted, and a pair of black wings appeared on her back, and aided with her flight. She headed towards the foul aura she sensed, the aura of her supposedly slain archenemy, Count Dracula.

* * *

Deep within the mountains rested a solitary tomb, tightly sealed by twin double doors, with a faded crest on the very center, corroded by time and the fierce winters. Within the tomb lied a single sarcophagus, situated on a raised platform in the center of the aged structure.

Suddenly, the sarcophagus began to shake, as crackles of dark energy leaked from it. After a few seconds, the heavy stone lid was blasted into the air by a gargantuan release of demonic energy, smashed against the stone ceiling, and fell as broken pieces onto the floor below. A split second later, a tall figure in a black cloak arose from within the sarcophagus, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes tightly closed.

The silence of the tomb was disrupted by a weary groan that came from the figure, as he slid his right hand down his pale face. "What happened this time," he asked flatly, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Is eternal rest really asking for too much?"

Instead of a verbal response, he felt a familiar agony within his heart, which made him wince. He closed his eyes, and pushed his senses out of the tomb. Once he did, he detected a familiar aura, one he never wished to experience again."No," he spoke incredulously, aghast and disgusted by the implications of what he'd just sensed. "That's not possible! I destroyed him forever!" He clutched his heart, which still bore the same ache. "Curse you," he growled through clenched teeth, "what must I do, to be free of you?"

An incensed hiss escaped him, as he stepped out of his opened coffin. He then walked towards the sealed exit, and held out both hands, which glowed with his unearthly power. An eerie hum filled the previously still air, as the double doors also began to glow. A moment later, they slowly creaked open, and the cold Romanian air soon filled the burial chamber, which blew his cloak and his long blonde hair behind him. A weary exhale escaped him, as he walked towards the outside world.

* * *

Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes stepped into the cold air of the Carpathian Alps, a rage of torment behind his stoic gaze. There was no means for him to have determined how much time had passed, though to him it wasn't nearly enough. He'd believed the world no longer needed him, so he could've finally rested, only to find it disturbed once more.

He pushed his senses outward, and discerned the familiar aura had came from a foreboding mountain, one he wanted to leave forever, along with his shameful lineage. And yet, the gnawing at his heart grew as he gazed upon it, and knew the reason behind it. "Why," he asked, a haunted look on his beautiful face, "why must I continue to suffer? Why must Mother, continue to suffer?" His gloved left hand tightened on the sheath that held his family sword, which had claimed the life of his sworn enemy. It infuriated him that he'd have to wield again, against the fiend he thought he'd completely destroyed. "I won't let you return," he spoke in a cold, steely voice. "I'll personally open the gates of Hell and cast you beyond them, you will not torture us any longer with your presence."

He concentrated his unholy magic, and his form wavered slowly. Once it became stable again, it assumed the shape of an overly large bat, which screeched as it flew rapidly towards its destination.

* * *

Tsukune had barely managed to get to his knees, all but completely exhausted from his ordeal. The days he'd spent tormented in his sleep had left him mentally drained, which made him fearful of his surroundings. Therefore, the unfamiliar landscape about him became truly terrifying. Moreover, he'd been separated from everyone he cared about, which he deemed the worst part of his plight.

His tormented mind went back to the horrible vision of his house burning down, and his cousin dying before his very eyes. He recalled he saw it before, with all of his family lying dead by the ruins of the house. And finally, when he saw Moka lying face down by the burnt husk of his former home. Though he was certain she was alive, there was no sign of his family.

"Okaa-san, Outo-san, Kyou-chan," he muttered in a hollow voice. "Does this mean, they're really gone?" He sobbed in despair for several moments, mortified at what had apparently befallen his family, and he was none the wiser. He lowered his grieving head, as the weight of his grief threatened to crush him. After a few moments, he threw his head back and screamed in despair and rage. "_**CURSE YOU, DRACULA!**_" he screamed to the heavens. "You destroy **everything** that I care about! _**ALL YOU DO IS DESTROY!**_" He finally turned back, and sent seething glare of hate towards the clouded summit where he was certain Dracula's castle was located. "But I won't let you get away with this! One day I will return, Dracula!" he declared as he pointed towards the summit. "And on that day I promise I _**WILL DESTROY YOU!**_"

He continued to stare at the mountaintop concealed by the fog, his hatred knowing no limits. Suddenly, he felt a familiar aura, coupled with an immense killing intent, headed right for him at incredible speed. He painfully turned around, and cried out as an unseen force smashed into his chest, and brutally knocked him to the ground, as the pain he suffered from the fall flared up again.

Tsukune groaned weakly, his whole body wracked with pain as she struggled to lift his head. As he did, he managed to see a large bat hovering near his body, supported by its large wings. Suddenly, the creatures' wings grew, as did the rest of its body. Its clawed feet grew and changed, and were extended by long legs. The claws on its wings separated, and became more humanoid hands. The body also grew, and its fur was replaced by black clothing. Its ears receded back, and a wealth of golden hair shot out from its scalp, which framed an impassive pale face.

The transformed being then landed, its black leather boots striking the ground with unmatched grace. Tsukune looked up into the figure's smoldering eyes, and saw a nigh limitless amount of rage behind them. "_**YOU!**_"

* * *

Oh crap, this is so not good. How in the world is Tsukune gonna get out of this one? Will he ever see Moka again? And who was it that gave him that little tidbit which helped him escape?

"_And when is the Author going to get his brains out of his pants? Urgh, as if you hadn't done enough to humiliate me!_"

"Is that what Kurumu's gonna be like when she grows up?"

"Hey, don't compare me to _that_ floozy, I am a respectable succubus!"

"Isn't that a contradiction of terms?"

"I'd say so, desu!"

"Who asked you, flatsky?"

Oh brother, here we go again. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter XIII Tsukune Versus The World


	18. Part II Chapter XIII

A/N: Hello everyone, hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, and are planning to have a Merry Christmas. Again, I feel ashamed that I hadn't completed this chapter sooner, but for those faithful few who're still interested in this story, it's finally here. Hope it's everything you've been waiting for.

And again, I don't own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania They are the licensed properties of Ikeda Akihisa and Konami respectfully. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter XIII  
Tsukune Versus The World

Far from the chaos that erupted within the Carpathian Alps, a more peaceful yet still tense event had begun in the southern part of Tokyo, as homeroom of the second year Class B at Shinji Koizumi High School had gathered. All the students were clad in their respective uniforms. The only exception was a somewhat disinterested girl, her red hair done up in pigtails that ran down past her shoulder blades, who stood next to the teacher's desk. While the other girls wore dull gray blazers with matching skirts, she wore a red and white schoolgirl outfit, with a faded yellow checkerboard skirt. Her brown stockings ran only up to her knees, while her classmates' were white in color and ran up to near the hem of their skirts. Her knuckles were dug into her left hip, her posture clearly indicating she wished she was elsewhere. Beside her was a boy of the same age with very dark blue hair, clad in the traditional dull gray school uniform, and a somewhat smug smile on his handsome face, which many of the fairer sex found quite charming, while the boys were clearly not so enthralled.

Standing behind the teacher's desk was a well-kept adult woman, clad in a dark blue blazer with matching knee-length skirt. Her dark brown hair was neatly kept in a bun, and she wore a welcoming expression on her face. "Hello, everyone," she began in an affectionate voice.

"Hello, Konno-sensei," the students said in unison.

"Now, I know it's late in the year, but we have two transfer students who've joined our esteemed school. Please, let me welcome," she continued, as she motioned towards the strange pair, "Sachiko Kurokawa-san and Rago Murushi-san. Class, make sure they feel welcome at our school. And don't forget, today we're having our field trip in the Sunflower Fields, so I hope you packed your lunches today."

The class nodded in agreement, and more than a few double-checked their belongings.

The homeroom teacher smiled at her students, pleased at their attentiveness. "Kurokawa-san, Murushi-san, you can-" she began as she turned towards them, only to find they'd already headed down the rows of the desks. "Yes," she said in a deflated voice, "make your own way to your seats."

The dark-haired boy casually made his way towards one of the empty desks, and a red-haired girl next to him nervously leaned away. He turned to the timid student, a broad grin upon his features. "Now now, my dear," he began in a soothing voice, "there's no need to be frightened, we've just gotten to know each other. And I hope we get to know each other, very well."

The schoolgirl cringed in response, feeling less than soothed.

Two rows from her, a brown-haired youth glared at the newcomer. "_Lecherous bastard,_" he thought to himself, as his chocolate-colored eyes narrowed into deadly slits, "_who does he think he is, hitting on Hakuba-san? He'd better stay away from her if he knows what's good for him._"

At that moment, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. He turned to his right, and saw the other transfer student headed in his direction. He grit his teeth together, as he knew the seat behind him was empty. Even worse, he felt a dark sensation when the redhead neared him. As she passed by, her head turned in his direction, and a low chuckle escaped her as the corners of her mouth stretched into a rather foreboding smile.

The brown-haired youth's body tensed instinctively as he felt the girl's presence behind him. "_She's a demon!_" he thought to himself. "_They're both demons! And on the day of the field trip, this is no coincidence. They're plotting something evil!_" he thought intently, as his fists clenched tightly on his desk. "_Blast, if only I'd brought it with me, I'd kill them both right now!_"

It was then that he felt more than a single pair of eyes on him. He looked about, and saw several nearby students warily looking at him. He exhaled bitterly, and his gaze lowered towards his desk. "_Fools, they could never understand. I lost everything because of that demon, and now they've come again, they're just like her, I'm sure of it. They're all the same, all they care about is death and destruction, just as Belnades-sama said._" He brought his clenched fist close to his face, and stared intently at it. "_But no matter what comes against me, I won't stop until she is dead and cast back into Hell where she belongs! I will have my revenge._"

The rather timid girl beside Murushi sadly looked to her classmate, and had a good idea what he had in mind. "Tai-chan," she spoke under her breath.

* * *

Tsukune's breathing came in short painful spurts, which told them at least one of his ribs had been broken. He knew moving in such a condition would've been dangerous, though with the black-clad man standing ominously over him, it appeared even that choice was beyond him. The injured youth struggled to get his fear under control as his eyes locked with those of the newcomer. "_It's him,_" he thought to himself, as he recognized the man from his nightmares, "_Alucard._"

"[You,]" the newcomer began in a low hateful voice as he glared at Tsukune. "[How many times must I kill you before you stay dead!]" he suddenly exploded, his face contorting into a mask of rage and hate. "[How long are you going to continue to torment Mother!]"

The former academy student looked up at the furious man, baffled as he hadn't understood a single world he'd spoken. "Nani?"

"[Don't even try playing stupid with me,]" Alucard continued in a deadly measured voice, his fangs bared in anger. "[I tired of your sick demented games long ago, and I have even less patience for them now. I don't know how you managed to return after we sealed away your castle, but after all the havoc you've wrought upon this world, I no longer care.]" He reached into his cloak with his right hand, and extracted a longsword, which radiated with a powerful aura. He then pointed the tip of his blade right at the fallen Tsukune. "[I'm going to erase you from this world,]" he declared vociferously, "[so you cannot dishonor Mother any longer! Prepare to die, Dracula!]"

Bolts of lightning crashed down around the mountain path, as the booming thunder shook the youth's badly wounded body. Once it subsided, he continued to shake, only in anger as he surmised the newcomer had called him by his enemy's name, which infuriated him to no end. "I am not Dracula!" he countered vehemently. "I've come here to kill him!"

The tall man instantly responded with a fierce kick right under Tsukune's chin, which snapped his head back and knocked him further down the path. "[Enough of the charades!]" the pale being snapped angrily as he approached the fallen youth. "[I will tolerate your existence no longer!]" He brought his right leg back, and then shifted his weight onto it. He then held his sword in a thrusting position, aimed right at Tsukune's heart. "_**[DIE DRACULA!]**_"

The former academy student grimaced, as he found himself looking into the face of death itself. Suddenly, a malevolent yet familiar aura appeared close by, and the brown-haired youth watched as a previously unseen figure passed over him, followed by the clashing of steel. The wounded lad looked up, and saw a newcomer in a long purple coat and half cloak had clashed against Alucard and pushed him back, their blades locked together. Tsukune's chagrin only grew as he easily recognized the figure. "Colton!"

"[I should've known you'd get involved again,]" the bald man spoke to his opponent, as he pushed forward with his deadly blade. "[You've always been a thorn in the Master's side, but no longer. This shall be the last time you interfere with our plans.]"

"[You're the one being a thorn! Why don't you just give up, you and Dracula will never extinguish the light in this world! I won't **allow it!]**" the swordsman proclaimed as he pushed off Colton's blade.

The dark servant of Dracula immediately lunged in with a thrust aimed right at his enemy's throat, but the superhuman warrior quickly ducked, and the blade passed over him. The swordsman then countered with a rising slash, which cut through his multiple layers of clothing and inflicted a diagonal wound upon his torso. Colton immediately retaliated with a heavy overhead slash, but it was quickly blocked by his enemy's blade. He then reared back with his sword and unleashed a straight horizontal slash, but it was again blocked. The bald man spun in the opposite direction as he unleashed a devastating reverse slash, aimed right at Alucard's neck. The blonde swordsman quickly blocked it again, as he struggled to hold his ground against his opponent's merciless attacks. Colton then reared back with his free hand and planted his gloved fist right into his enemy's midsection, which staggered him noticeably. The bald man then followed up with a deadly thrust that was barely parried by Alucard, as the intended deathblow was diverted from his heart and wound up scraping across his left bicep. The black-clad man then unloaded with a vicious reverse slash, which caught his opponent right across the chest.

Both warriors backed off and examined their respective wounds. Alucard clutched his left arm, while Colton looked at his injured chest, a scowl present on his pale face. He then turned his brooding glare to his opponent. "_[You_ won't allow it,]" he asked contemptuously, "[your insolence has never ceased to disgust me. You were born to succeed Lord Dracula and rule over this world in this stead, yet you forsook your destiny to appease the very people who slaughtered, that woman. How pitiful.]"

"[Silence!]" Alucard snapped heatedly. "[Don't you _dare_ dishonor Mother like _he_ did! He spoke his empty praises of her, yet in her hour of need he did nothing to save her! _**NOTHING!**_ He didn't even visit her grave! Even his pathetic pleas for forgiveness were false! I want nothing to do with such a despicable soulless creature who loves no one but himself! All his kingdom and riches and armies are nothing but trash in my eyes, and I am better off without them!]"

"[Really,]" the sinister man mused, "[if you find this all so unsightly, then why did you awaken from your slumber and interfere with us again? If you'd only minded your own business, no more hardship would've befallen you.]"

"[If I'd done that the whole world would've been plunged into eternal darkness and mankind would've been exterminated! That's the way evil always triumphs, when good people do nothing!]"

An amused chuckle escaped the dark servant. "[So you see yourself as being _good,]_" he asked with a wry smirk. "[_You,_ who were born from the very world you've struggled so vainly to destroy? Hmph, it matters not how much _good_ you do, it doesn't change who you really are and where you come from. The same darkness that drove your father drives you as well, and that will never change, O tragic Prince of Darkness.]"

"[Liar!]" Alucard countered, his anger rising to the surface again, "[I am nothing like him! All he lived for was death and destruction! I have lived to save the world from him and the rest of his miserable kind! A species that lives only to destroy has no place upon this land!]" He then pointed his sword at his sworn enemy. "[I will not rest until every single one of you is destroyed, starting **with you!]**"

Tsukune looked on as the pair resumed their clearly heated battle. Though he couldn't understand their words, the mutual contempt they felt was unmistakeable. Their blades clashed against one another, as sparks flew through the air, along with the repeated clanging of metal. The wounded youth was understandably awed, as he'd never seen such skilled swordsmanship in real life. He saw the two combatants were clearly master swordsmen, which was demonstrated in each of their blows and parries.

As the two continued to battle, the former academy student's eyes went wide as he felt an unsettling presence nearby. He looked around him and saw nothing. He looked up, and saw the form of the false Moka gracefully descending towards him, the same as she was when they last met, which brought on a massive nosebleed on Tsukune's part. "Ah, she began in a breathy voice as she landed near him, "looks like I, came just in time."

The brown-haired youth groaned from the disturbing thoughts her words brought on. He shut his eyes tightly, but the image of her voluptuous form remained in his mind, especially the way she seductively looked at him from over her huge breasts, and a disturbingly familiar sensation came from his trousers. He then heard a light feminine chuckle from next to him, which made him open his eyes. When he did, he saw the demoness had knelt down by his left side. "As much as I'd enjoy helping you, release your obvious tension," she began archly, as she placed his injured arm over his stomach, "it would be better if we did so someplace more, comfortable," she concluded with an inviting grin.

"Get away from me," he protested in a hoarse voice as he tried to push her aside with his shoulder. The next thing he felt was the sensation of being trapped within a familiar softness. He slowly looked over, and gaped in horror as he found his shoulder lodged in her cleavage.

The demoness laughed in delight, coupled in ecstasy. "Are you sure about that," she asked archly as she wrapped her arms around him. "Come now, darkling," she cooed sensually as she lightly stroked his face, "even as willing as I am, now is not the time." She pulled him closer to her, which in effect pulled his shoulder deeper into her cleavage. She then brought her sensuous lips close to his ear. "Maybe later," she whispered softly, and then ran her tongue along the exterior of his ear, which made him shiver in response.

The false Moka extricated him from her chest, then slipped one slender arm under his back, and the other under her knees. Tsukune's eyes went wide as he felt himself being lifted off the ground, without so much as jarring his badly injured body. The demoness then gracefully rose to her feet, showing no signs of exertion from carrying the injured youth in the process. At that moment a tearing sound came from behind the charlatan. Tsukune looked, and watched as two huge demonic wings emerged from his captor's sensuous back. The former academy student knew he shouldn't have been surprised, yet he couldn't have contained his shock in his present. He then looked back to the silver-haired impostor. Upon reflection, he knew it was the same creature he found on the floor once he awakened, though he also knew he couldn't have stopped her at the moment, lest he risk injuring himself further. "Hold on," she spoke with an inviting smile. She then bent her knees low, and leaped into the air, her wings flapping to assist her ascension.

The false Moka spun around as she began to fly upwards, her eyes fixed upon the fog-enshrouded summit. Tsukune also looked to the summit, where atop he knew stood Dracula's castle, his enemy's morbid domain. In between flaps, he heard his captor inhale sharply, and then cringed as she abruptly dodged aside in midair, and left an afterimage behind her. "_**NITESCO!**_" an unseen voice shouted a split second later, followed by a huge beam of piercing energy that smashed into the side of the mountain.

Tsukune looked back to their former position, and his mouth gaped open as he realized what just occurred. He knew that his captor not evaded when she did, both of them would've been struck by the attack, and most likely plummeted to their deaths. He looked to the mountainside, and watched as small chunks of rock fell to the earth below.

A moment later, the demoness turned to face their attacker, as an incensed growl escaped her. Tsukune looked ahead, and saw a hovering form several yards beyond them, silhouetted against the moon. He strained to get a closer look, and saw the clearly female being was clad in a strange-looking dress, and supported by a pair of ebony wings. She also wore a pair of somewhat tattered gloves that nearly covered its entire arms that looked very familiar to Tsukune. The former academy student tried to look at her face, but it was concealed by the light of the moon. However, what he'd already seen had him worried about who'd just attacked them. "Ruby-san," he asked without certainty.

"[You do not belong in this world,]" the newcomer began in a foreign tongue, "[your very presence brings chaos to this peaceful land. But you shall not escape!]" the figure proclaimed boldly, as a crimson rapier materialized in her right hand, which she pointed right at the injured young man. "[I am the blade that vanquishes all evil, and I shall once again cast you back from whence you came! Begone from this world, Demon Lord Dracula!]"

Lightning illuminated the sky behind her, and the air seemed to seethe around her form. The former academy student looked genuinely frightened as he saw the murderous intent in her eyes, which glowed a bright shade of crimson. "Ruby-san, what are you doing," he called out, shocked at the possibility of the dark-haired woman had turned against him, "don't you recognize me? It's me, Tsukune!"

The newcomer didn't respond, and its burning stare didn't waver.

At that moment, the silver-haired demoness hissed angrily, and clung tighter to the young in her arms. "[Miserable wench, you dare bare your fangs against us,]" she demanded with a murderous look of her own. "[Blade that vanquishes all evil, ha! Where do you think your power came from? You are no hero, you're nothing but an ungrateful wretch who shall regret turning against her benefactors.]"

"[I have no regret about challenging evil. Say what you will about the nature of my powers, it does not change how I utilize them.]" She tightened the grip on her rapier as she lowered her chin, her eyes locked upon them. "[And it will not change the need to vanquish you and your foul master, neither of you will survive this night.]"

The dark-haired woman suddenly launched herself towards the hovering pair, her sword reared back. The hybrid youth barely had a chance to gasp as his captor careened to the side to dodge the oncoming attack. The lad cringed in fright as he realized his current vulnerability. He was too injured to fight, and he surmised his captor couldn't have fought effectively while holding him, so both of them were in serious peril. "Tsukune," the demoness spoke sternly, which immediately got his attention, as it reminded him of the silver-haired Moka he truly adored. He soon felt himself shifted into one arm, and saw the serious look in his captor's face. "Hold on, and no matter what happens, keep still."

Tsukune could've only nodded in response, as he guessed she had a plan in mind. He saw her close her blood-colored eyes, and watched as she brought her free hand to the middle of her huge chest. He then felt the concentration of her powerful youki, as a rose-colored aura surrounded her voluptuous form. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw their attacker had turned back towards them, her sword in a striking position. But just before she lunged forward with her sword, Tsukune felt his captor seemed to glide across the sky, as the dark-haired woman continued forward. He quickly looked to the side, and saw several versions of the demoness, along with a version of himself in her arms. "No way," he spoke in awe, as he'd never seen such skill with illusions in his life.

"I said keep still," the fake Moka spoke through clenched teeth.

Tsukune cringed in response, as he was well aware of his predicament. After several moments, the demoness ducked below the line of replicas, which their assailant had turned back to attack. As Tsukune looked back, he saw the illusions fired of orbs of glowing rose-colored energy, which homed in on the attacker at random intervals. The dark-haired woman continued fighting them, unaware her real target had quiet slipped away.

The impostor quickly headed back down towards the mountain path. She gracefully landed on her feet, knelt down and gently laid Tsukune on the hard rocky surface. The brown-haired youth looked up at her, a wounded and confused expression on his face. "Why," he asked weakly, "why is she doing this?"

"There's no time to explain," the demoness replied curtly, "she won't be confounded by my illusions for long." She lifted his back up slightly, and looked into his troubled brown eyes. "But know this, I won't let her take you. I will fight to protect you from anyone who'd dare threaten us, Tsukune."

The wounded youth scoffed at her soft declaration. "Don't insult me," he replied bitterly, "you think I don't know who tormented me with those nightmares?"

The ersatz Moka gave him a wry smirk, seemingly unfazed by his callous remarks. "Doubt me if you wish, but I will show you how faithful I am." She wrapped her arms around him, and pressed her huge bosom against his bare torso. "I promise."

Before Tsukune could've responded, he felt the demoness' full lips against his own. Though he was initially repulsed, the softness of the liplock was undeniable. He struggled to escape his predicament, and repeatedly punched his assailant in the side with his good arm. Yet with the soothing energy that passed through his body, he found it was becoming more difficult to resist her. Even worse, his hormones were going into overdrive, so he found himself essentially fighting two enemies at once. His feet kicked violently on the ground, as he felt himself losing control. And then, just as soon as it had begun, the winged woman pulled away, a knowing smile on her pale face. "How dare you," Tsukune growled at her, livid at what she'd just done.

Without another word, the demoness stood straight up, and caused the wounded youth to tightly shut his eyes. Yet even in his mind, he still saw her motions, which aroused and infuriated him at the same time. "Stop it!" he snarled angrily, incensed that he seemed to have no privacy, not even in his own mind. The next thing he heard was the flapping of huge wings. He finally opened his eyes again, and saw his captor had taken to the skies again, headed straight for her black-winged adversary, her sword materializing in her slender right hand. And yet even as the two clearly inhuman women clashed against one another, Tsukune was still seething over the impostor's earlier actions, further denigrating his precious friend. Regardless of the outcome, he planned to personally tear the charlatan apart for all the torment she'd caused not only him, but Moka as well.

Suddenly, a malefic aura manifested nearby. He turned to his left, and saw a black cloud of smoke had arisen from the ground. From the mist emerged the same robed man he encountered when he first awakened. "You!"

"_Did you really think you could escape so easily,_" he asked with an unamused scowl. "_Your fate is in our hands, boy. No one can save you now._"

"I'm not going," Tsukune started through clenched teeth, his body trembling with rage and agony as he channeled his remaining energy into his clenched right fist, "_**ANYWHERE WITH YOU!**_" he screamed through his pain, as he shot forth a piercing beam of his concentrated youki. The beam careened towards his enemy, and a huge explosion ensued, which sent chunks of broken rock towards him.

The wounded student cried out as the force of the explosion passed over his fallen form. After several long seconds, the eruption subsided. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw a large hole had been blasted into the side of the mountain from his attack, concealed by a dustcloud. But when he considered the force of the attack, he was certain that his current enemy was no longer.

"_How intriguing,_" a familiar voice came from the cloud, "_I hadn't expected you still could've generated such power._"

Tsukune gasped in chagrin, as he recognized the voice. A few moments later, the dust finally cleared, and he saw his enemy, a few feet to the left of his former position. The brown-haired youth groaned mournfully, as he saw his last ditch effort was apparently for nothing. "No," he spoke weakly, as he felt himself succumbing to despair.

"_But you must realize it's hopeless now,_" the evil priest spoke as he approached the sophomore's fallen form. "_This is your fate, resign yourself to it._"

The former academy student grimaced as Dracula's servant raised his right hand towards him. "_I'm __sorry, everyone,_" he thought to himself, as the man's hand glowed with an eerie violet aura, "_I'm sorry, Moka-san._"

Suddenly, an echoing howl filled the air, coupled with a demonic aura moving at incredible speed. Tsukune looked to his left, and watched as a glowing figure flew through the air, and drilled right into the robed man, which knocked him thirty feet down the path. The former academy student could've only watched as the figure backflipped repeatedly through the air, then landed on a boulder near the edge of the path. "[Hold it right there, evildoers!]" the stranger began in a bold bestial voice. "[Your foul deeds have been exposed by the light of moon, and I have come to remove you scoundrels from its blessed sight!]"

The wounded youth looked up to the strange figure, who was illuminated by the moon behind it. He saw its frame was very powerful, and supported by lupine legs, which ended in clawed feet. Its fists were ground into hips, and its elongated snout was proudly upturned, coupled with a fearsome-looking grin. Tsukune also noticed it wore a gray fighting attire, that looked Japanese in origin, which left its thick and furred arms bare. He also saw a familiar piece of jewelry around its neck, along with a red headband which held back its messy black locks. Tsukune finally managed a smile, as the arrival of the newcomer made him feel hopeful once again. "Senpai!" he called out, his his widening in recognition.

The evil priest got to his feet, and looked between the fallen youth and the werewolf who'd attacked him. "_[What in the- who are you!]_" he demanded, his face livid with aggravation as he regarded the newcomer.

The beastly figure's grin widened, as he pointed his clawed index finger towards the night skies above. "[I am he who is called Cornell,]" he proclaimed dramatically, "[the seventh incarnation of the Blue Crescent Moon!]"

Tsukune blinked in confusion, as the lycan spoke in the same strange language as everyone else around him. "Senpai," he asked uncertainly, as his newly-rekindled hope began to waver.

Not far up the path, Alucard and Colton continued their heated sword battle. But the appearance of the boisterous lycanthrope distracted both individuals, who turned to face the newcomer. The blonde swordsman looked at the werewolf with an incredulous expression on his pale face. "[Oh no, not another one!]"

Colton merely gave him annoyed look, but said nothing.

High up in the skies, the two winged women sensed the presence of the newcomer, as well as heard his proclamation, which prompted them to halt their fight. Though considering neither of them were able to gain any real advantage, it seemed like a welcome reprieve to the battle of attrition. They looked down towards the lycanthrope, and while the dark-haired warrior struggled to keep a straight face, her opponent looked on with a dark sensuous smile. "[Oh my,]" she began lustfully, "[what a delicious-looking morsel. I wonder if he tastes as good as his father.]" She then warped to the side, and left an afterimage behind which was skewered a split second later. She looked over her shoulder towards her enemy. "[Do you mind,]" she asked with a perturbed scowl.

"[It is your own fault for allowing your desires to distract you,]" her opponent retorted with a remorseless frown. "[You are a repulsive creature, guided only by your carnal instincts. And as the blade that vanquishes all evil, I shall have no qualms about cutting you down.]"

"[Repulsive,]" the silver-haired demoness asked with an amused smirk. "[I beg to differ,]" she continued, as she stretched her arms behind her head in a provocative manner. "[Unlike you and that ungrateful child, I do not _fake_ what I am. I have absolutely nothing to hide.]"

"[You take pride in your amoral debauchery,]" her adversary demanded, a noticeable trace of heat in her usually calm voice. "[Very well, prepare to die, denizen of darkness!]"

"[Not on this night, darkling,]" the ersatz Moka replied with a lewd smile, as she beckoned towards her opponent with her free hand.

Down on the path, the evil priest glared hatefully at the lycan enemy before him. "_[Insipid creature, who do you think you're trifling with? You think a misguided feral like yourself has the slightest chance against us?]_"

"[Ha! _You're_ the ones who have no chance! You should've stayed dead after my father trounced the lot of you! But since you're obviously stupid to know when you're beaten, it's up to me to send you back to Hell where you belong!]"

"[Get over yourself!]" Alucard shouted from further up the path. "[It was Julius, Marissa, and myself who defeated Dracula and all his followers! Don't you dare dishonor all our efforts by trying to steal the credit for _our_ victory!]"

"[Yeah, you only wish that were true. My father's ten times the hero and the man you'll ever be, so keep dreaming, poser.]"

"[Poser?]"

Tsukune winced in response, though he didn't understand a word that was spoken, he clearly felt Alucard's murderous intent from his vantage point. "_That's definitely Gin-senpai,_" he thought to himself as he regarded the werewolf, "_he always did love being the center of attention._"

"[Enough of this sideshow!]" Colton's voice called out, which got everyone's attention. "[Shaft, dispose of this upstart.]"

The robed man looked back to his cohort, then turned to the lycanthrope. "_[It will be my pleasure,]_" he spoke with a dark murderous look.

The inhuman warrior leaped off his perch, and landed on the mountain path. "[So you wanna be first, huh,]" he asked his apparent opponent. "[Fine by me, Rod, I'll take on anyone, anywhere, anytime!]"

"_[That's _Shaft,_ you moronic beast! And I tire of your unabashed impudence!]_"

"[Yeah, it's gonna take more than your boring long-winded speeches to frighten me, Pole,]" the lycan replied with a dismissive wave of his clawed hand.

"_**[SHAFT!]**_"

"[Shaft, Bearing, Ratchet, Wire, Bolt, doesn't matter what your name is, you're _still_ going down!]"

Tsukune groaned in chagrin, and slapped his hand over his face in disbelief. "I am not seeing this," he wearily commented, embarrassed by the lycan's bravado.

"_[Such unbridled audacity,]_" the robed man spoke with a brooding scowl, "_[it's time to correct that grievous oversight.]_" He raised his hands above his head, and a powerful unholy aura surrounded his visibly frail form. A sizable sphere of light appeared above his hands, which soon coalesced into an emerald orb. The orb soon separated into six versions of itself, and hovered over his head, emitting an eerie mystical resonance. "_[Protect me!]_" he commanded, and the spheres encircled his frail form.

The werewolf immediately charged at the dark priest, his claws spread out to both sides. He lunged with his right claw, but it was blocked by one of the evil underling's jade spheres. The lycan repeatedly slashed with his claws, but each attack was blocked by the sinister man's orbs. The nefarious being dangerously bent his clawed fingers as he interlocked his wrists. As a rising growl escaped him, the orbs encircled him at a much faster rate.

"Watch out, senpai!" Tsukune called out, as he sensed the building energy within the evil man.

"_**DISPERSE!**_" the dark priest shouted as he shot his hands into the air. The revolving spheres suddenly shot out in all directions, and one of them caught the braggadocios beast right in his barrel chest. He cried out in pain as he was brutally knocked back, and landed hard on the ground. The fallen creature groaned for a moment, raised his beastly legs, kicked up off the ground and regained his footing. He shook his head for a moment, and growled at his nemesis. But before he could've moved in, he saw his opponent had raised his arms again. "_**SHAFT OF FIRE!**_" the dark priest shouted, and two of the orbs became ablaze and homed in on the lycan.

The creature who Tsukune believed was Ginei Morioka immediately broke into a sprint, and lashed out with both claws with knocked the oncoming orbs aside. "[Too slow!]" he declared as he closed in on the sinister man and lashed out with his claws, but his attacks were again deflected by the evil priest's protective spheres. As he continued to attack, he didn't realize the flaming orbs had changed direction and were slowly floating towards him.

"Look out, senpai!" the fallen youth called out from his vantage point.

Tsukune watched as the lycan warrior screamed in pain as the orbs burned into his furred hide. He stumbled forward, smoke coming from his back. The evil priest casually stepped aside, and watched as the orbs continued to pursue their target. The werewolf growled in pain, quickly glanced over his shoulder, and rolled onto the ground. The orbs passed over him, but as they were about to home in on him again, their flame went out, and they returned to their master instead. The beastly figure quickly got to its feet, and charged his opponent yet again. "_**SHAFT OF LIGHTNING!**_" the robed figure shouted, as he shot both hands into the air.

"[Wide open!]" the werewolf shouted, and slashed at an opening in his opponent's defense. His claws raked against the evil priest's front, which made him growl in obvious pain. He flung his cape over himself, and seemed to leap completely over the lycan, and landed over twenty feet away. The beastly figure turned to pursue him, but quickly stopped short as a bolt of lightning crashed down before him, as well as one behind him. The lycan looked up, and saw two orbs above him. They interchanged places, and two more lightning bolts crashed down. Finally, the floated directly overhead, and the beast quickly scampered away as another pair of lightning bolts crash down on his former position.

"That's not fair!" Tsukune protested, incensed by what he'd seen. "And just when senpai finally got a hit on him. Coward!" he shouted angrily, then winced as the pain of his broken ribs flared up again. He held them gingerly with his good hand, and grit his teeth together as he waited for the agony to have subsided. No sooner than it did that he managed to open his eyes again. Once he did, he saw the lycan charging towards his enemy again, despite the burns on his body.

"_**SHAFT OF FIRE!**_" the evil priest shouted, and two of his spheres became ablaze and targeted the beastly warrior. However, they were much faster than they were the first time, though the werewolf quickly batted them away with his claws. Unfortunately for him, the orbs weren't deterred for a second before they zoomed in on him again. He batted them away five more times, each with similar results. Tsukune grimaced at what he saw, for he felt the dark underling was fighting more seriously. "_**SHAFT OF LIGHTNING!**_" Two more orbs floated towards the inhuman creature, and a pair of lightning bolts crashed down beside him, which startled him for a moment. His lapse in concentration soon proved painful, as the burning orbs smashed into him and knocked him to the ground, just as two more lightning bolts crashed down beside him. Finally, the lightning orbs hovered directly above him, and another pair of deadly bolts struck him where he laid, and he writhed in agony as electricity coursed through his wounded body.

"_**SENPAI!**_" Tsukune called out, horrified at the fate of the beastly man.

"_**ROLLING THUNDER!**_" the robed figure called out, and his remaining spheres were surrounded by rings of multicolored energy. They tumbled over one another, like a hamster in a cage, as they raced towards the fallen werecreature. The beastly warrior struggled to get to his feet, but the orbs closed in and knocked him six feet down the path. His body tumbled repeatedly before it came to a stop. However, the spheres continued their trek, and smashed repeatedly into his fallen form, which results in several ear-piercing howls of agony.

Tsukune slammed his fist into the hard rocky surface, and actually made a sizable crater where he struck. "I have to do something!" he growled to himself, as he struggled to move his decrepit body. "If I don't, Gin-senpai will be killed!" The pain became nigh unbearable as he rolled onto his side, as he tried to keep his broken arm still. After several agonizing moments, the former academy student got to his knees. He placed his good hand on his right knee, and with a final scream of inhuman anguish, forced himself to his feet.

The brown-haired youth looked ahead, and saw the evil priest had closed in on his fallen opponent, as his orbs floated menacingly around him. The former academy student groaned as he moved forward, despite the protests of his badly injured body, which he soon found included his left knee on top of everything else. He strove to ignore the pain, and focused on continuing forward, for he knew his enemy wouldn't have stayed his hand indefinitely.

"_[Such an unimpressive display,]_" the evil priest mused, "_[you're even more pitiful than your progenitor.]_" He interlocked his wrists, and concentrated his dark energy, as the orbs encircled him at an increasingly rapid pace. "_**SHAFT OF WIND!**_"

Tsukune watched as the orbs shot towards the werecreature, and floated just above the ground as they encircled him. They revolved around him at a blinding pace, which became even too fast for even the hybrid youth to have followed their movements. Their motions created a towering wind funnel, and soon the all but prone lycan found himself hurled high into the air, well over a hundred feet at its apex.

"_[And now for the coup de grace,]_" the evil priest commented, as he concentrated his energy again. "_**SHAFT OF EARTH!**_"

The rotating orbs buried themselves in the rocky path, and their holes closed up behind them. Tsukune looked on, and saw six small glowing spots on the path, which seemed to indicate the spheres' locations. He looked up, and saw the lycan had begun to plummet towards the ground, seemingly helpless in his descent. "_**NO!**_" he cried out, and quickly stumbled towards the area where the werewolf would've landed.

"_You!_" the dark underling called out in Japanese, audibly annoyed by the former academy student's actions. "_What do you think you're doing, get away from there if you value your life!_"

"Never!" the brown-haired youth shot back defiantly, despite his wretched condition. "I won't let you kill Senpai, or anyone else!"

The robed man crinkled his nose in response, as a perturbed scowl crossed his deathly pale features. "_You think_ he's _your ally? Hmph, you're even more misguided than I originally believed. Foolish child, you _have_ no allies in this world._"

Tsukune balked in response, taken aback by what the dark servant had just spoken. But before he could've asked for any form of clarification, he heard the werewolf's screams from above. He looked up, saw the lycan descending towards him, and realized he hadn't thought of his next course of action after he disrupted his enemy's attack. The much larger creature landed atop the perplexed youth and smashed him hard onto the unforgiving mountain path.

* * *

Further up the path, both Alucard and Colton had temporarily stopped their duel yet again, and watched as the falling werewolf landed atop the gravely injured youth, and both crumpled onto the ground in a heap.

"What in the world was that," the blond swordsman asked incredulously, "has he lost his mind? Or did something get damaged during his revival?"

The bald man said nothing, as he merely scowled at the scene before him.

"Hmph, you should've meekly accepted your defeat, all you're doing now is making a fool of yourself. Don't you understand, this is a world of light, darkness will _never_ rule it!"

"Don't get so cocky, boy," Colton shot back as he glared at his nemesis. "Belmont is no longer, and Belnades won't be of much help to you."

"What's that supposed to mean," Alucard demanded with a piercing gaze, as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"You don't need to know, for you will die tonight." He raised his blade arm aloft, which crackled with seething dark energy. He viciously slashed downwards, and a cutting wave of energy shot towards the blond swordsman, who quickly evaded the oncoming attack, which carved a gash into the mountain path as it progressed.

* * *

High up in the air, both combatants turned and saw the incidents down below. The dark-haired woman was visibly stunned, as well as a bit perplexed. Her opponent looked even more shocked from the strange man's actions. "Tsukune, you fool!" she snapped in disapproval. "What were you thinking, trying to break his fall with that decrepit body of yours!"

"[It seems your master isn't himself today,]" came the musing of her adversary, spoken in fluent Romanian.

The succubus spun around and glared menacingly at her enemy.

"[No matter,]" the dark-haired woman continued, "[regardless of what form he takes, he is still Count Dracula, the enemy of all that is pure and righteous. There shall be no mercy for his abhorrent soul,]" she continued, as she furrowed her brow and aimed her sword at the winged demoness, "[or for those who follow him.]"

"[Silence! I will not allow you or anyone else to harm him!]"

"[Then you are fated to disappear, along with this horrible night.]" She raised both hands aloft, and a fifteen-foot-long beam of light appeared in her grasp. She forcefully brought it down, and her opponent was barely able to avoid the attack.

* * *

Tsukune screamed in agony, as his spine was brutally jarred, and he feared another rib had been broken. "Senpai," he groaned in a weak voice, "get off me."

"_Such an incompetent attempt at valor,_" the evil priest's voice spoke from nearby, "_makes me wonder if he's even worth the trouble._"

The former academy student winced, as he knew his enemy had spoken in Japanese. He turned his head, and saw his enemy ten feet from him, shaking his own head in disgust.

"_No matter, there'll be plenty of time to correct these, idiosyncrasies of his. But before that,_" the dark servant continued as he looked down at the fallen lycan, "_I think it's high time time to dispose of this nuisance._" He aimed his left hand at the werecreature, and Tsukune cringed as he felt the priest's energy at work. He watched as the beastly figure hovered several feet above the ground, upheld by the dark servant's power. Its body was then moved into a vertical position, as the priest reared back with his free hand, which glowed with an ominous violet aura. Tsukune looked, and saw all six of his spheres glowed with the same foul energy.

"Senpai," the former academy student groaned weakly, as he struggled to regain his footing.

"_You stay where you are!_" the robed figure snapped heatedly at him. "_Unless you'd like to die with this stupid beast._"

"He's not a stupid beast!" Tsukune shot back. "Call him what you like, Senpai has always looked out for us, and we'll look out for him! That's what friends do." He coughed painfully, as he rose to his feet again. "But you, you people only care about yourselves, and your stupid little games. You have no friends, and that's why you'll lose."

"_Is that so,_" the sinister figure asked with a stern gaze. "_You should really pay more attention to your surroundings, for as I told you before, you have no friends in this world. No one is coming to your aid._"

Before Tsukune could've responded, a beckoning howl resounded about them. He looked up, and saw the stricken lycan howling at the moon, which seemed to glow brighter in response.

"_[Hmph, is that supposed to be a plea for help,]_" the dark servant asked in a foreign tongue. "_[Foolish creature, all your efforts are in vain. You have absolutely no chance of defeating us. Accept your fate, man-]_" Before he could've finished, a large gray wolf materialized and pounced upon him with its deadly claws, then vanished. As he looked for the source of the attack, another wolf pounced upon him, followed by seven more, each from different directions. He staggered from each attack, and lost his hold on the lycan, who fell to the ground.

The werewolf collapsed to his knees, growling in obvious pain. "[You were saying,]" he asked, as he managed a proud grin. "[My Wolfpack Attack made you eat your words, didn't it, Beanpole?]"

The flustered enemy snarled in seething aggravation, which manifested in a truly malevolent violet aura.

"[Oh boy, looks like he's really peeved now,]" the lycan noted, as his ears flattened against his head. He growled for a moment, and examined the wounds on his powerful body. He then looked strangely at Tsukune, who seemed at a loss about how he should've responded. He finally looked ahead, as a weary sigh escaped him. "[Guess I don't have a choice. I'll have to use, the secret technique of the werewolves!]" he announced loudly, as he pointed his right index finger into the air.

"_[Don't even try patronizing me further, beast!]_" the dark priest snapped irritably. "_[Secret technique, don't make me laugh!]_"

"[Trust me Stringbean, you won't be! Once I use this technique, all evil will disappear from my sight!]" He looked further up the path, and pointed towards the black-clad man. "[And that means you too, Poppa's Boy!]"

"[What did you say?]" Alucard shot back in between slashes.

Tsukune groaned in disbelief where he laid. "Senpai, what do you think you're doing taunting that guy?"

"_[Enough of this pathetic farce!]_" the robed figure heatedly proclaimed, as his insidious aura surrounded both him and his spheres. "_[I'll decimate your body and present your wretched soul as an offering to Count Dracula!]_"

"[Not in his lifetime, prunehead!]" the lycan retorted defiantly, and raised his clawed hand towards the celestial body in the sky. "[Ancient powers of the moon, answer my call! Lend your divine strength to your champion!]"

The brown-haired youth looked on, and watched as an all but blinding white aura surrounded the beastly warrior. He blinked repeatedly as he felt the swelling power within the werewolf, and wondered if he could've defeated all his enemies as he'd promised. The former academy student looked about, and saw the others had ceased their conflict, clearly alerted to the growing demonic energy. He saw the fake Moka had an amused and slightly aroused expression, which really began to unnerve him. He noted the other combatants wore differing degrees of aggravation on their faces.

"[Now witness my ultimate power!]" the werewolf declared, as he raised both hands aloft. "_**LUNAR WIND!**_" Tsukune barely had a chance to react before he found himself picked off the ground, hurled over the beastly warrior's shoulder, and carried away at a blinding pace.

* * *

The dark priest stammered for several seconds as he attempted to process what had just occurred. Once he finally regained his coherence, he realized both his opponent and the offering had escaped. "_**GET BACK HERE!**_" he screamed at the top of his lungs, then turned into a cloud of black smoke and sped down the side of the mountain.

Up in the air, the silver-haired demoness' eyes glowed red as a gargantuan murderous intent manifested within her soul. "Oh, I don't think so," she spoke, a deadly promise in her usually sensuous voice. Moreover, her silvery locks turned cerulean blue, and her already full figure expanded even further. With her fangs bared in anger, she flew down towards the base of the mountain.

Meanwhile, the dark-haired woman blinked repeatedly, still somewhat taken aback by what just transpired. "He's definitely energetic," she admitted, impressed by the boastful lycan's cunning strategy.

"Don't just stand there!" Alucard's voice shouted from the path. "He's getting away with Dracula! After him!"

Without another word, she flew down the side of the mountain, and a large bat followed right behind him.

Colton stood in place for several moments, a look of supreme exasperation on his pale face. It was the second time that night someone had infuriated him to such an immeasurable degree, which he found intolerable. "I've had enough of this," he spoke in a low deadly voice, as a titanic black aura surrounded his form, which began to grow in stature. As it did, his overcoat became more tattered, and his lower body disappeared, replaced by a long segmented tail which seemed to be an extension of his spine. The clothing he wore underneath disappeared, which exposed a gaunt torso covered by sickly dead flesh. Most of his facial features disappeared, which revealed a sinister pair of eye sockets, with contained twin crimson pinpricks of light. Only a thin layer skin remained on his head and face, and the sickly flesh covered the underside of his otherwise exposed jawbone.

Once his transformation was complete, the man formerly known as Pierce Colton stood three times his usual stature, and exuded an infinite murderous intent. A whirling form appeared before him, which hummed with a truly unearthly resonance. He casually moved his right hand out to the side, and deftly caught the rotating shape, which stopped in his grasp. The object was revealed to be a deadly black scythe, as long as his ghastly form. The vile-looking weapon had a skull-shaped pommel, patches of dried blood all along the shaft, and a nasty curved blade that glowed with a malevolent aura, as pained cries came from it. The specter slid the weapon down in his grip, and clasped it with his free hand. A menacing hiss came from it, as its reared its skull-like head back. "_**Now you will die,**_" it spoke in a horrific sepulchral voice, which had chilled the souls of many of his victims before their demise.

* * *

Cornell sped his way through the valley, headed towards the forest where his village had lain in secret. He wasn't sure why the erratic vampire had tried to assist him, but he viewed it as an assist nonetheless. So in that case, he felt honor-bound to have spared the stranger and bring him back to the village. Even though he knew the others would've chided him for bringing a vampire back to their sanctuary, as well as having returned without slaying Dracula as he'd promised earlier, even he knew he would've been killed had it not been for his unconventional savior of sorts.

"[Senpai, slow down,]" his odd new acquaintance groaned in a bizarre language, "[I think I'm going to be sick]"

"Who's this 'Senpai' guy you keep talking about," the descendant of the legendary hero asked with a strange look. "Ah, forget it, we can talk later, Mister Whatever Your Name Is."

"[Senpai, don't you recognize me? It's me, Tsukune! What's wrong, did you forget how to speak Japanese?]"

The werewolf said nothing in response, as he finally got through the valley and ducked into the forest. No sooner than he did that his superhuman sprint slowed down and eventually came to a stop. He gently lowered his prisoner onto the ground, then fell to his hands and knees, panting from exhaustion.

"[Senpai,]" the strange youth spoke in concern.

"Oh man," the tired lycan said in between breaths, "I think I... pushed myself too hard. The old man warned me... not to overuse the Lunar Wind. But it was either that... or get wiped out by all those guys." He paused for a few moments to catch his breath. "That Shaft guy was tough enough by himself, the rest of them? Man, is this what you had to go through, Pop?"

Suddenly, the fur on his back bristled, as he felt an evil presence in the area, which prompted him to quickly regain his footing. No sooner than he did that a shadowy figure arose from the ground before him. The shape soon became fully visible, and he beheld the figure of a blue-haired woman whose physical beauty transcended his ability to have verbally described. Her sensuous curves immediately ignited his more primal thoughts, as his long tongue hung out of his mouth.

The newcomer chuckled to herself, as she covered her mouth with her slender hand. "Oh my," she began in a seductive voice, "I hope I'm not intruding on anything. It wouldn't be very becoming if you didn't, desire my presence," she concluded with a lustful grin.

"No," the beastly warrior replied, as a rose-colored haze covered his eyes, "not at all."

"[Senpai, no!]" the injured man cried out. "[Don't let her prey on your weakness!]"

"Come here," the demoness spoke in a beckoning voice, "and I'll make all your desires come true."

"_**[SENPAI!]**_" came a scream that was lost on Cornell, who was completely enraptured by the inhuman diva before him. He began to approach the newcomer, as his mind became dominated by carnal thoughts concerning her. Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through his leg, which made him howl in piercing agony.

He looked ahead, and saw the rose-colored haze was gone. He then looked about him, and saw the vampire had bitten into his left leg. "Hey, what's the big idea!" he demanded. "I saved your butt back there and this is how you repay me?"

"[Senpai, wake up!]" the injured man called out from the ground. "[That woman is a succubus! A succubus!]"

The werewolf hardly understood anything he said, though the one word he did understand made him blanch in response. "Succubus," he exclaimed in disbelief. He looked towards the woman, and finally saw the huge batlike wings on her back, which verified what his captive had spoken. He growled to himself, as he knew the townswomen had repeatedly warned him about such creatures, who tempted the souls of men and devoured them. The feral warrior knew Andreea would've specifically chided him if she ever became aware of the incident, which irritated him to no end.

"How terribly inconvenient," the demoness spoke with a perturbed scowl, "and just when it was about to get fun. No matter, this doesn't change anything. Be a good boy and release him," she spoke smoothly as she pointed to the boy, "he belongs to us."

"Forget it, I'm not turning him over, and you can't make me!"

The blue-haired temptress threw her head back in maniacal laughter, which caused her huge bosom to bounce repeatedly. Cornell quickly shut his eyes, but the image remained in his mind, which made him groan in chagrin. He was shamed that he continued to be aroused, despite the malicious nature of his opponent.

"Oh," the woman began pointedly, a challenging smirk on her heart-shaped face, "really?" Waves of energy shot from her eyes, and the werewolf instantly found himself stricken as they passed over him.

"What's this," the lycan asked with a frightened look, "I-I-I can't move!" The next thing he felt was the nude torso of the succubus pressed against him, which made his blood race in spite of his inhibitions.

"Now, what was that you just said, darkling," the sinister being asked, her blood-colored lips stretched into a dark smile. "'I can't make you?' You underestimate me, man-beast, there is not a male creature in this world that can resist the charms of Lilith, least of all you."

The werewolf's eyes went wide in naked fear. His grandfather and the elders had told him tales of the fabled succubus queen, but he never imagined he would've encountered her in his lifetime. His breathing came in heavy pants, as the felling of her rapturous body against him was wearing down his willpower.

Suddenly, the demoness cried out in pain, and removed herself from Cornell, much to his relief. He looked over her shoulder, and saw a black-haired woman behind her, who held a crimson rapier out to her right, which dripped with fresh blood. The succubus immediately spun around, and hissed in fury at her assailant. "You miserable wench!" she snarled at the newcomer. "How dare you use such a cowardly attack against me!"

"Do not blame me for your own lapse in judgment," the pale woman replied simply, no remorse in her calm voice. "You are a slave to your own dark desires, that is your biggest weakness. And that," she went on, as she aimed her blade at the demoness, "will be your undoing."

"Enough of your nonsense!" the blue-haired temptress snapped angrily, as she manifested her own blade. "I'll silence your ungrateful mouth forever!"

Cornell watched as the succubus clashed against her attacker. He blinked repeatedly as he sensed the aura of his would-be savior. "What the hecht, is she a vampire," he asked himself with a confused look. "Why is she fighting Lilith?" The sound of clashing blades rang in his sensitive ears, and disrupted his train of thought. "Ah, forget it, this is good a chance as any." He turned to his left, and saw the badly wounded youth had managed to regain his footing. "Let's go," he said simply, then balled up his fist and smashed him over the head. "_**AND DON'T BITE ME AGAIN!**_" he screamed into his ear. "If I end up turning, it's gonna be you and me! Got it?"

"[Ow, Senpai, that hurt,]" the vampire seemed to complain, as he rubbed the top of his head.

The werewolf led him away from the battle, hobbling due to his injured leg. His speed was visibly hampered, though he ignored the pain and headed deeper into the forest. Suddenly, a cloud of black mist arose from the ground. And from it emerged a familiar figure in a purple and red robe.

"_That's as far as you go, man-beast,_" the dark priest began with a brooding scowl. "_For all the trouble you've caused me, I'll make your death exceptionally painful._"

"You wish!" Cornell shot back defiantly. "It's gonna take more than what you've got to take _me_ down, Pole!"

"_It's _**Shaft, **_you incorrigible beast! And I shall tolerate your existence no longer!_"

The dark servant raised his clawed hands up, as his emerald spheres floated around him. Suddenly, a screeching sound pierced through the air, which alerted both him and the lycan. Both watched as a large bat flew into the area. It glowed with a fierce orange aura, and spat a fireball from its fanged maw. The attack caught the evil priest flush in the chest, which caused him to leap over the werewolf's head, and land behind him.

"_You again!_" the robed figure exclaimed in aggravation. "_Don't you ever give up?_"

The flying rodent's form wavered for a moment, and was quickly replaced by a humanoid form, clad in black and gold clothes, who landed gracefully on the ground. He straightened his back, and sent an impassive stare at the vile underling of Dracula. "That should be my line," the newcomer began flatly. "You should know by now that darkness will never triumph, but since you're so insistent on proving otherwise, I'll simply have to send you back to the Abyss. There's no place for your kind in this world," he finished with a more serious look as he drew his sword.

Shaft growled in chagrin, as his long fingers bent dangerously by his sides.

Cornell noted the seething hatred between them, and saw it as a chance to escape. "Come on, Mister Nameless," he spoke to his new associate, "let's go."

"Hold it right there, beast," Alucard's voice came from behind.

The werewolf stopped in place, and timidly looked over his shoulder.

"Just because I'm busy with this fool doesn't mean _you're_ off the hook," the black-clad man spoke without looking in his direction. "Once I've finished with him, you're next. It doesn't matter where you try to run, I _will_ find you. I won't have your stupidity jeopardize everything I've spent almost six hundred years trying to achieve!" he continued, his rising emotions evident in his voice and face as he glared at the beastly warrior.

"_And just what have you achieved,_" the evil priest interjected, "_nothing! The world needs the Dark Lord, it desires the Dark Lord, and it shall assuredly receive the Dark Lord._"

"_**SILENCE!**_ Don't you _**DARE**_ presume to know what the world desires! I'm putting an end to you and your insane delusions, forever!"

"_And you'll die trying,_" Shaft declared, as a seething violet aura surrounded himself and his spheres, "_just like Belmont! __**ATOM SMASHER!**_" The glowing orbs shot from their master, and streaked towards Alucard. They converged on his form and then detonated in an enormous explosion of negative energy. Yet in a split second, the blond swordsman sped through the dark underling's body, reappeared behind him and slashed him twice across the back. He instinctively leaped over the tall man and reappeared behind him.

As the two old enemies continued their battle, the stricken werecreature hobbled away with his captive of sorts, as explosions resounded from behind them. "Man, they're really going at it," the beastly figure commented in between steps, as he nervously glanced behind them. "I just hope they don't cause a forest fire, or we'll have real problems."

A couple of minutes later, the pain from his wounded leg flared up again, which made him grimace for several moments and stopped him in his tracks.

"[Senpai,]" the brown-haired demon asked with a concerned look, which became chagrined when the werewolf grabbed his throat.

"You'd better start talking fast when we get back," Cornell growled at him with a vexed look, "the locals don't take too kindly to vampires. Especially dumb ones like you."

The stricken youth gagged as he desperately tried to remove the lycan's powerful claw. His eyes went up for a moment, and then a terrified look appeared on his face. "_**[SENPAI!]**_" he screamed and pulled the beastly warrior to the ground. No sooner than he landed that a slashing force sailed overhead, followed by the sound of crashing trees.

The lycan quickly looked ahead, and saw a whole row of trees had been cut in half. He then found his whole body trembling, as he felt an aura that far exceeded any demon he'd ever encountered. With a frightened yelp, he looked over his shoulder. Once he did, he saw a hovering specter behind him, clad in a long tattered coat. In his ghastly hands was a deadly blackened scythe, and a maniacal grin seemed carved onto his skull-like visage. Small reddish pinpricks of light glowed from within his sinister-looking eye sockets, which peered directly into the frightened werewolf's soul. The usually fearless warrior trembled in unbridled fear, as he knew the aura he'd just sensed came from the vile entity behind him. And according to the old legends, there was only one besides the Vampire King that possessed such horrible power.

"No, it's not possible!" Cornell cried out as he tried to back away from the ghastly being. "You should've died along with Dracula!"

The sinister figure threw his skull back in maniacal laughter, which frightened the man-beast down to the very core of his being. After a few seconds, the unearthly entity aimed his hellish gaze at its adversary. "_**Foolish creature,**_" it began in a hollow, distorted voice that instilled terror into even the bravest of souls, "_**what you speak is ludicrous. Do you not understand, I am a force of nature itself. As long as there is life, there will always be me. There is no power in this world that can ever destroy me.**_"

The werewolf screamed in mortal terror, paralyzed by the mere presence of the incarnation of death.

"[Wh-what,]" the brown-haired youth asked as he looked to the spectral entity. "[Are you claiming to be the Shinigami? No, you lie!]" he shouted incredulously. "[Why would you help Dracula, all he wants to do is destroy!]"

The sinister being laughed once more, amused by his inquiry. "_**I don't expect you to understand my motives, child. But in time, all shall become clear.**_"

The wounded vampire grimaced, as he also trembled before the unholy figure.

"_**As for you, lycanthrope,**_" the dark servant of Dracula spoke as it turned its gaze back to Cornell, "_**you've caused me too much trouble already. It is time to extinguish,**_" it continued, as pained screams came from its scythe, "_**the candle of your soul!**_"

"Not so fast, Zead!" a male voice interjected.

All three individuals turned and saw a golden sphere of energy materialize beside them. From the sphere emerged a lanky man with long blond hair, clad in a strange red coat.

"[Saint Germain!]" the vampire called out, an elated look on his face.

"_**What do you think you're doing,**_" the ghastly being inquired of the newcomer, a hint of annoyance in his sepulchral voice.

"You and your playmates have caused too much of a ruckus here, I think it's time you all went home." He hunched over, and a mysterious golden aura surrounded his lithe form, which resonated with otherworldly energy.

"_**What are you doing?**_" the vile specter demanded, fear evident in his twisted voice. "_**STOP!**_"

"I call upon the ancient powers of eternity," the strange man implored as his hands shot towards the nighttime skies, "cast these followers of darkness from the sight of the valiants! O Time Reverse!" The image of a large clock face appeared behind him, and the minute hand rapidly spun backwards, coupled with an expected clicking sound.

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" the sinister being cried out as his form faded and then vanished from sight.

* * *

Elsewhere in the forest, Alucard deftly evaded the oncoming orbs of his enemy and slashed across his chest. However, instead of leaving a wound, his blade seemed to harmlessly pass through his body, which began to fade before his very eyes. He looked down at his free hand, and saw it was also fading.

"_**LORD DRACULA!**_" Shaft cried out as he vanished from sight.

* * *

Shanoa's blade slashed against another of Lilith's illusions, which dissipated upon contact. She dispelled three more in similar fashion, then stabbed at what she believed was the real Lilith. Her estimate seemed accurate as the succubus looked at the blade lodged in her chest. Unfortunately, the dark-haired woman saw she'd made no wound, and that her enemy's body was fading. She soon saw her blade and right arm was also fading. She gasped in shock, and heard her opponent scream in anguish as he vanished.

* * *

Five figures materialized upon the mountain path. The robed man frantically looked about, startled by his surroundings. "_Where are we,_" he asked with a confused look.

"Over there!" the blue-haired demoness exclaimed as she pointed down the path.

Shaft looked in the same direction, and saw himself several feet beyond him, along with everyone else gathered around. He watched as the werewolf made his escape, which infuriated him to no end.

"Oh no you don't!" the succubus snapped as she spread her wings out wide and prepared to pursue him. She hadn't so much as a foot further when she encountered an invisible barrier ahead of her. She slammed her hands against it several times, but to no avail. He looked behind her, and saw Death had a ghastly hand outstretched, which glowed with a bizarre aura. She gave him a scathing look as she quickly deduced he'd been the one who created the barrier. "What are you doing, they're getting away!"

"_**Watch.**_"

The robed man gave him a peculiar look, then turned his attention down the path where the interloper had disrupted their plans. He watched as his cohorts took off after the fleeing pair, as well as Alucard and the dark-haired woman. Finally, he looked on as Dracula's most trusted servant removed his disguise and joined the pursuit.

Shaft considered what he'd just witnessed, and mulled over all the facts until they finally came together. "_I see now,_" he stated as he turned back to his cohorts, "_if we'd joined in the chase, we would've risked interfering with ourselves, and thus created a temporal anomaly, something we really __couldn't afford._"

Lilith growled in aggravation, as she finally made the connection. "Not him again," she grumbled in aggravation as she placed her hands on her round hips, "where he does get off meddling in our affairs?"

The robed man said nothing at first, as he pensively held his chin. "_But that makes no sense, his little gamble could've created a paradox. Why would Saint Germain take such a dangerous risk?_"

Death lowered his ominous gaze towards the priest. "_**Because that was **_**not **_**Saint Germain.**_"

Shaft spun around towards him, a bewildered look on his wrinkled face. But before he could've made any further inquiries, a titanic malevolent aura manifested around them, which brought him and the succubus queen to their knees. "_Such horrible power,_" he spoke, a rare look of fear in his dead eyes.

"_**It is the Master, he has summoned us.**_"

"But what about them," Lilith asked, as she pointed to the dark-haired woman and Alucard who were fleeing the scene.

"_**Let them go, the Master's call takes precedence.**_"

The dark priest groaned wearily as he looked to the ground. "_Lord Dracula isn't going to like this._" A cloud of smoke arose around his kneeling form, and he disappeared into it. Lilith soon followed suit and teleported back to the castle.

Alone upon the mountain path, Death looked out into the forest, where Tsukune and Cornell had taken refuge from him and his lord. Though he knew it was a temporary setback, it was one they couldn't have afforded, especially since one of Dracula's rivals had interfered with them again. "_**This is not over,**_" he spoke in a low menacing voice, and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Moka groaned wearily, as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She experienced flashes of lingering pain in between moments of awareness, which made her prone body tremble noticeably. "_Is that, my house,_" a voice spoke within her mind, then became silent. The young daiyoukai groaned in response, unsure if she'd actually heard it. "_Is that, Moka-san,_" the same voice asked. The former academy student lightly gasped at the sound of her own name, along with the friendly manner in which it was spoken. She began to stir, and struggled to open her eyes. "_It is, it's Moka-san!_" the mental voice spoke with undeniable certainty. "_Moka-san's at my house!_"

The white-haired woman gasped as she finally regained consciousness. "Tsukune," she asked with a confused look. After a few moments, she raised her head and gave it a weary shake. She absently rubbed her face with her long fingers, and felt her sunglasses had somehow remained intact, though that was hardly an important issue at the moment. She quickly removed them, and pushed herself off the ground. Once she regained her footing, she looked about the area. She soon saw her hat lying near her feet, and she bent down and reclaimed it with her slender fingers.

Once she straightened herself up, she took a better look at her surroundings. She found herself in what appeared to be a suburban neighborhood, which definitely looked like a human settlement. But as she she examined it more thoroughly, she found herself troubled by how quiet the neighborhood seemed. There was no sound of birds singing, or children playing in their respective yards. She couldn't hear any cars in the area, or any sign of vehicle. The area seemed completely abandoned, as if cut off from the rest of the world. The very thought made Moka shiver instinctively, as she began to feel alone again, which she dreaded above all else.

She finally looked ahead, and saw the domicile before her was a burned husk of its previous self. She quickly saw it was the only house in such a condition. As he looked upon the ruined abode, she recalled the last words she heard in her mind. "_It is, it's Moka-san! Moka-san's at my house!_"

The lonely vampire gaped in horror, as she finally pieced everything together. "No, no!" she cried out sadly, horrified by what the ruined house implied. "_**TSUKUNEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_"

* * *

Holy smokes! What the hecht happened here? Will Moka ever find her way back to Tsukune? Will Tsukune be safe in the care of the strange lycanthrope? And just what happened to Moka and the other girls in the first place?

"I wanna know too, I'm waiting for my big scene with Tsukune-san and Moka-san!"

"You mean _my_ big scene with Tsukune, flatsky!"

"No, it's _my_ big scene with Tsukune. Tsukune, Tsukune, Tsukune, Tsukune."

Geez, talk about one-track minds. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter XIV Alone In The World


	19. Part II Chapter XIV

A/N Hello everyone, hope you're all having a Happy New Year. Argh, I'm still trying to get back into the habit of writing regularly, and it disturbs me that updates have come as slow as they have. I'm not making any excuses, I just want to let you all know this story will not be discontinued, and I will finish it, along with the last part of the trilogy, The Old House of Darkness, where it all comes to a head.

And again, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter XIV  
Alone In The World

Moka collapsed to her hands and knees, her young heart crushed by the tragic sight before. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, and she did nothing to stop. "Okaa-sama, Kyouko, how can this be?" Her claws dug into the ground, as her entire being was wracked with grief. "I was just here, and now-" She found herself unable to complete her sentence, as she feared it would've only magnified her anguish. She wept for several more seconds, pained from both the ruined domicile, as well as the impromptu separation from her comrades. Never before had she felt so alone, which she found to be the worst part of her ordeal.

"Tsukune," she finally spoke again, her head still bowed, "where are you? Please, _please_ don't tell me! You can't be gone! You can't be!" She cried for another moment, then rapidly shook her head. "No, I can't think like that, he must still be alive." She finally raised her head and looked to the charred wreckage before her. "But, even if he's alive, he has no home to go back to." She looked back to the ground, as her tears fell onto the dead ground. "How dare they do this to Tsukune," she spoke in a broken voice, as she felt herself trembling, her sorrow turning to anger. "How _**DARE THEY!**_" she exclaimed, as she drove her fist straight into the barren earth.

The fuming daiyoukai looked down, and saw most of her arm stuck in the barren ground. She yanked it out with an enraged growl, and then rose to her feet. She felt her entire being seething with rage, which she'd never experienced before the heart-wrenching betrayal she suffered back at the academy. Since that day, the dark emotions and instincts of vampires manifested themselves within her, everything she'd sought to suppress since she was exiled to the human world.

The lone figure bared her fangs in anger at the ruined house before her, and her eyes glowed a malevolent shade of crimson. Though she was tempted to have lashed out at anything in her vicinity, she knew the perpetrators had long since fled the scene, so she would've had to hunt them down instead. "I won't let it end like this," she spoke in a determined voice, as the faces of the missing family appeared in her mind. "Okaa-sama, Outo-sama, Kyouko, Tsukune." She brought up her clenched fist, murderous thoughts in her formerly innocent and peaceful mind. "I will avenge you." She took a moment to brush the dirt off her coat, then turned and headed down the street, her low-heeled shoes echoing off the pavement. Though she wasn't sure about where to have looked, she planned to discover what happened to his family, regardless of who or what got in her way.

* * *

Atop the very pinnacle of darkness, the sinister overlord seethed in limitless anger as she glared at his terrified subordinates, who trembled as they knelt before their master. "Incompetent **fools!**" he shouted, as he unleashed a vicious wave of electricity from his right hand, which struck the evil priest full in the chest and knocked him across the ruling chamber. The wall behind him cracked visibly as the decrepit man slid down to the floor in a heap.

The raging demon king then turned his attention to the prostrated succubus before him. "How **dare** you let the boy escape!" he declared in his rage, as he slashed diagonally with his deadly claws, which unleashed five cutting streaks of energy that nailed his target with deadly efficiency. The rending waves cut huge gashes into her voluptuous torso, and one across her face.

The succubus screamed in anguish, both from the pain and the injury to her infinite vanity. "Please, my lord," she begged in sheer desperation, "have mercy upon us!"

"_**SILENCE!**_" the dark overlord snapped as he waved across with his hand, which sent the wounded demoness smashing into a column near the side of the room, which resulted in loud cracking noises. Lilith slumped to the floor, as she clutched her left arm. "You have no right to request _anything_ after your abysmal failure! And because of your grand incompetence, Alucard has awakened!"

"_**We shall deal with him, Master,**_" the foul specter interjected, but before he could've elaborated further, a titanic beam of glossy black energy shot down and smashed him into the floor.

"Do not even try to rationalize your worthless selves," the white-haired devil spoke with a loathsome scowl. "I do not tolerate failure, _**NOT EVEN FROM YOU!**_" he declared angrily as he glared menacingly at the prostrated spirit. "Do any of you realize what will happen if _he_ finds the boy?"

"I'll never let that ingrate near Tsukune!" Lilith declared through her pain as she raised her tormented visage. "Even if I must sacrifice my eternal soul, I'll keep him safe from that murderer Alucard. He will _not_ slaughter him as he has so many of my children!"

The brooding ruler cast his baleful eyes towards the prone demoness, perturbed by the interruption. "Is that, affection I hear in your voice," he asked with a disgusted annoyance. "You do remember the purpose of that worm, don't you?"

"Verily, my lord, and that's why I'll crush anyone who dares threaten him, especially that bloodthirsty ingrate!"

The enthrone being sneered disdainfully in response, as he noted the seething hatred within the succubus queen. He looked to his other subordinates, who both wore similar expressions. That told him they held the same opinion of the traitor, and also long for the opportunity to crush him. He had no need to question their motivations, since he knew both Death and Shaft held grudges against Alucard. However, he realized there was still one pressing matter, one that had to be resolved so his plans could've been completed. "And how do you intend to find him," he asked the blue-haired demoness. "He has disappeared from even my sight."

"Because I've already marked him. Once he starts dreaming, I'll know exactly where he is."

The ancient vampire growled to himself, displeased that the offering had escaped but somewhat relived that his underling had the means to have located him. "Make sure of that, Lilith," he spoke with a warning glare, "we cannot afford **any** more mistakes!" he declared, as he cast his brooding gaze upon the foul apparition, and then turned back to the succubus. "Return him to me immediately, and do as you please to that mongrel who dares trifle with us."

"Oh yes," the blue-haired demoness replied with a malicious grin, "I'll make sure that little beast regrets his folly. I can hardly wait to feast on his anguish and despair, he'll suffer just like his father did!" A twisted cackle escaped her, despite her gruesome injuries.

The sinister overlord scowled in displeasure, but said nothing as he turned to the others. "And what of Belnades?"

The robed man coughed nervously as he regained his composure. "_Yes, sire, my apprentice has already devised a trap for her. Once she acquires the necessary bait, it'll only be a matter of time before Belnades comes for her. And when she does, she will die._"

"And what makes you so sure she'll come?"

"_Oh, trust me Master, she _will," he insisted with a stern yet reverent look. "_My apprentice is looking forward to her little, reunion. And after that, there'll be one less nuisance to worry about._"

The much-despised demon king growled in acknowledgment, then turned to the apparition. "And what of these, _maidens,_" he inquired, his displeasure clearly evident in his final words.

"_**They shall be here before long. Despite his more annoying tendencies, Saint Germain shall not fail us in **_**that **_**regard. I'm counting on it**__,_" he continued, his sepulchral voice resonating with sinister anticipation. "_**And once they arrive, they shall all die. Especially that little upstart who dares think herself above the gods, I shall take great pleasure in exposing her folly, before I devour her soul.**_" A chilling laugh came from the specter, as his pinprick eyes glowed even more malevolently.

"_What makes you so sure they'll come,_" Shaft inquired of the apparition, a rather dubious expression on this pale face. "_A quintet of teenage demon girls striving to save the world? Sounds more like the writings of a madman than an actual threat to our Master._"

"Because," the voluptuous woman replied in a silky voice as she turned her amorous gaze to him, "we have what they desire. I have seen them within his mind, they shall foolishly give their lives to rescue Tsukune. Oh yes, they will come. And when they do, the fun truly begins. Especially for you, little Kurumu, you shall realize who you are and where you stand." A soft yet sinister chuckle escaped her full lips, as her amethyst eyes glowed in dark anticipation.

"Then depart," the dark overlord decreed with a dramatic wave of his hand, which thrust his cloak out to the side, "and make certain all comes to fruition. Crush **all** who dare interfere! Alucard, Belnades, it matters not, decimate them all!"

"_Yes, my Lord,_" Shaft and Lilith said in unison, before they vanished from the throne room.

The ancient vampire gazed impassively, and noticed the foul specter remained before her. "Did you not hear me," he asked with a twinge of annoyance, "I told you to depart."

"_**There is still one more matter which requires your attention, Master. **_**He **_**has returned.**_"

A demonic growl came from the sinister being, as his eyes glowed red with hatred, and a malefic aura surrounded his towering form.

* * *

Not far from the dark fortress, on the highest levels of the old temple formerly known as Ecclesia, was a reception hall that had once served as the founders' chambers. In the rear of the hall, atop a slightly upraised dais, was a great chair carved from sturdy oak, and buffered with elegant velvet cushions. Behind the ruling seat was the broken remains of an altar, whose purpose was long forgotten. Upon the seat was the sole surviving member of the Order of Ecclesia, Shanoa.

Before the ageless woman stood a tall man in black and gold, who currently wore a flabbergasted look on his face. "Ten years," he asked incredulously, "it's only been ten years?"

"Yes, Lord Alucard," the dark-haired replied plainly, a more composed expression on her face.

The blond swordsman looked away sharply, as a frustrated sigh escaped him. "I don't understand, how could this have happened?" He clenched his fists by his sides, as he trembled in barely controlled rage. "We completely destroyed Dracula and banished his castle from the earth! I saw it vanish into the eclipse, just as we'd planned! There should've _no way_ he could've returned again! _**NO WAY!**_" he screamed at the ceiling. "Everything happened just as Nostradamus had predicted! So how, _how_ could this have happened," he asked as he turned back to her.

Shanoa rested her chin on her slender hand, as she gazed him with her watery blue eyes. She wasn't surprised by his outburst, she'd expected such a reaction once he learned his supposedly perfect plan had somehow come unraveled. The fact that it occurred a mere decade after its implementation infuriated him further. She wished she could've soothed him by giving him the answers he desperately desired. However, she knew they eluded the both of them, and she sighed gravely at the troubling fact.

"And what of the prophecy," she asked curiously. "Are you sure you studied it diligently enough? I've heard rumors that the great prophecy was, incomplete."

The son of Dracula gave her a hard look in response. "Where did you hear that nonsense? Those are the words of naysayers who are too small-minded to comprehend the real danger that Nostradamus described."

"Perhaps, but consider where you found it. You don't believe your father or your old seneschal would've taken steps to insure the whole truth never got out?"

Alucard said nothing for several seconds. Though his expression was unreadable, the Glyph mistress could've seen he hadn't considered the option. He merely found the prophecy in the Inverted Castle over two centuries back and took it at face value, which she knew was a dangerous habit to posses.

"Ridiculous," the dhampir finally spoke with a dismissive shake of his head, "those buffoons are too arrogant for such meticulous planning. They thought they could've defeated the prophecy, but all their supposedly masterfully crafted plans came to nothing. No matter how many times they try, darkness will never rule over this world."

Shanoa sighed gravely as she listened to her associate. She ruefully shook her head, as she also knew that he was far too sure of himself. Even if he could've possibly realized he'd erred in some way, she knew he would've never admitted it, a trait he shared with his hated sire.

"Well then," the dark-haired woman finally responded, "that just leaves one question." She gracefully rose from her throne and gave him an expectant look. "What now?"

"We destroy him," her comrade replied without hesitation, "as we always have. His resurrection doesn't seem complete, so it'll be easier to slay him." He looked off to the side. "But before that, I need to find Marissa. We'll need her help in this battle."

"Lord Alucard," the dark-haired woman spoke pointedly, "you know how that last battle ended. Do you really believe she'll still be willing to assist you?"

"She cannot ignore the threat to our world!" the blond swordsman countered. "It is her duty as a Belnades to purge the world of evil! There is no other fate for her!"

"And _you're_ going to tell her this," she asked with an upraised eyebrow. "With all due respect, considering what happened ten years past, I don't fancy your chances."

"She'll assist us, she must. It is in her blood to fight against evil, as her ancestors did before her. Refusing her calling is not an option. She will realize that."

Shanoa sighed to herself, as she lightly shook her head, which caused her long midnight tresses to wave to both sides. "Do you even know where she is," she asked with a light tilt of her head.

"I'll start in Wygol, they'll know where to find her."

"And what if they don't know?"

"They _will_ know," he insisted in a firm, measured voice. "And even if they don't, there's nowhere in this world she can hide from me, or herself. That is not an option." With a gracious bow, he turned and made his way towards the exit. "Keep monitoring Dracula's movements until I return, don't try to engage him before then." And with that, he left the grand hall.

Shanoa ruefully bowed her head, and her long ebony bangs fell into her face. "As implacable as ever," she said to herself. "Alucard, when you will ever learn? Rarely does anything go as planned, Albus could've told you that." A mournful sigh escaped her, as she slowly closed her somber eyes. "Albus," she whispered, as a lone tear ran down her pale cheek.

* * *

The air was tense within the hidden village, as practically all of the populace had gathered near the edge and anxiously looked towards the mountain range where the dark phenomenon had occurred. Their leader had left some time back and had yet to return, which troubled many of the townsfolk, as they recalled his father had left for the dark castle and never returned.

On the other end of the village, the air seemed to waver like a ripple in a pond. A moment later, a wounded werewolf made his way into the settlement, as he supported an even more wounded man.

"Ah, here we are," the man-beast spoke in a relieved voice. "Mister Nameless, this is my home, the lycan village of Cornelius."

The wounded vampire raised his head and briefly looked about the area. "[Senpai, where are we,]" he asked with a peculiar expression. "[This doesn't look like Osaka.]"

"Sorry, I don't understand a word you're saying. Just keep it down, don't want to let everyone know I'm back, okay? We'll just slip inside the house while no one's watching, no worries."

Cornell continued to hobble through the village, yet supported his odd associate regardless. The brown-haired stranger looked about, and saw only a couple of the houses had more than one story, yet even those seemed smaller than his own. A deep sigh escaped him, as he recalled the sight of his ruined home. The youth soon saw they were headed towards one of the larger homes, situated on the west side of the small village. He noted the lycan glanced around every corner, as if to make certain they weren't being watched. "Okay," the lycan spoke in a low voice, "I think we're in the clear." Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his sensitive ears, which perked up in response. He looked to his left, and groaned in horror as an exuberant blonde woman in a long tan dress rapidly headed towards him.

"_**MY LORD!**_" she exclaimed in ecstasy as he launched herself forward and tackled him to the ground, which caused him to lose his grip on his new acquaintance, who was thunderstruck by the recent turn of events.

"Ugh, Crina," the werewolf groaned, "you're... crushing me."

"Oh my Lord," the blonde woman spoke affectionately, "I'm so glad you've returned. I was _so _worried when you went off to the devil's castle alone!" she went on, as she pressed her ample chest against his own repeatedly.

The wounded man looked on incredulously, and instinctively held his nose as a stream of blood erupted from it, for the woman's actions reminded him of one of his classmates. "[Uh Senpai,]" he asked with an uncertain look, "[is she, a fangirl or something?]" His eyes went wide as he saw a long furry tail wagging vigorously in the back of her nigh full-length skirt.

"But now that you're back," the newcomer continued, incoherent to everything else around her, "I know we have nothing to fear. Oh, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you again," she went on breathlessly as she tightened her grip on the prone lycan beneath her. "Come, my Lord, let's get married! I'll gladly give you a dozen pups in memory of this glorious victory!"

The brown-haired youth decided he'd seen enough, moved in and grabbed one of her shoulders. "[Hey, stop that! You're crushing Senpai! Can't you see he's injured?]"

Unfortunately, he found her grip was a lot stronger than he'd anticipated, so his efforts weren't as successful as he'd hoped. Even more, he knew he was still injured and thus couldn't have employed his full strength. But considering what happened back at the castle, he knew he was fortunate to have even survived his desperate escape.

The blonde woman looked up, as she finally noticed the tugging on her shoulder. Her blue eyes went wide as she screamed in fright. "_**AHHHH!**_ **A vampire!**" she shrieked as she scampered away from the stranger man.

At that moment, an older man ran towards the suddenly tense scene. "What the, what's a vampire doing here," he asked in shock.

A red-haired woman then appeared on the scene, and had a similar expression when she got a better look. "It can't be!" she exclaimed in horror. "How'd he get through the barrier? Are we going to be attacked?"

A second man arrived soon after, and saw the commotion before him. "This isn't possible! A vampire, here? What happened to Lord Cornell?"

"He's probably already dead," a sarcastic female voice interjected, which preceded the arrival of a rather surly woman, with short black hair and a large shovel in her hands, "and if he isn't yet he will be when I find him. Legendary champion of the moon, ha! He's as incompetent as his father."

"I heard that!" the fallen lycan shot back from his vantage point.

"My lord, are you alright," the blonde woman asked as she worried examined the injured warrior, "what in the world could've-" She inhaled sharply, and her blue eyes went wide, as a realization came upon her. She then turned to the stranger, and bared her fangs in anger. "You!" she declared accusingly. "You did this to our Lord!"

The second man looked to her for a moment, then his own features darkened. "Oh, I get it now," he spoke up with a menacing scowl. "He ambushed our Lord and followed him back to the village!"

"You've got a lot of nerve invading our den!" the first man added with a fierce glare, his arms out his his sides and his fingers bent like deadly talons. "But this is the end you, we're gonna tear you limb from limb, servant of Dracula!"

"[I am not Dracula!]" the wounded stranger protested in an unknown dialect. "[I'm one of Senpai's-]" He got no further as he felt the release of a powerful demonic aura. As he pondered it for a moment, he realized it wasn't but one aura, but several being released all but simultaneously. He looked around, and saw the villagers' frames becoming more developed, and their features changed from humanoid to lupine, as did their legs. He looked back to the woman who'd tackled his companion, and saw she'd also undergone a similar transformation, as a bestial growl escaped her maw. "[You're... a werewolf]," he asked with a chagrined look. He turned back to the others, and saw four more had joined them, and had also begun to transform. "[You're... all... werewolves?]"

"Yes, we're werewolves!" the black-haired female lycan retorted tartly, "what did you think we were, Chupacabras?"

The invader looked stupefied, and gave no verbal response.

"Fine, I don't want an answer anyway. _**KILL HIM!**_" she called out as she pointed her shovel at the vampire.

The brown-haired youth barely had a chance to defend himself as one of the man-beasts lunged at him with its deadly claws. The wounded figure turned his body to the right and the slash just missed his throat. He barely got a chance to recover as he sensed another werewolf behind him and raked down his back, which made him cry out in pain. He tried to keep his eyes open, which proved to be a good thing as he saw another lycan lunging towards him. He managed to twist his body to the left, and then as the beast stumbled forward, pushed him away with his good arm. The force of his counter sent the werecreature to the ground. "[Stop it, I'm not your enemy!]" the strange shouted, "[I'm Gin-senpai's friend! You must-]"

He got no further as he felt himself brutally tackled to the ground. He looked up, and quickly realized it was the same woman who'd pounced his would-be escort earlier, only in her full lycan form. She raised up one of her claws, and the injured youth managed to catch it with his right hand. He struggled to keep her talons away, yet her strength proved far greater than he'd anticipated, and since he was essentially fighting with one good arm, it made his plight even more dire. He slowly forced it to his left, away from his body. The female lycan quickly countered with a vicious left cross to the side of his face, which dazed him for a moment and caused him to lose his grip. She then repeatedly raked him across the face with her claws, with left deep welts in his cheeks. After that, she opened her feral mouth wide, and prepared to lunge for his throat. But before the fatal attack was made, a loud banging noise was heard, and the attacking werewolf had a dazed expression on her face.

"Idiot!" a bestial voice growled. "_Never_ bite a vampire! Don't you know what'll happen if his blood gets into you?"

The brown-haired youth saw the opportunity, and pushed the dazed creature off him. He looked up, and saw the dark-haired werebeast near him, her shovel in a thrusting position, and aimed at his throat. He barely managed to roll away and avoid a certain decapitation at his feral adversary's hands. Once he stopped, he soon saw the female werewolf moved towards him, her intent unchanged. His body screamed in agony as he dodged four more decapitation attempts and then got pounced by another man-beast. He quickly responded with a crushing right hook, which caught the attacker flush on the jaw. He then pushed back with all his strength and sent the man-beast flying off his person.

* * *

The armed lycan scowled as her enemy had managed to fend off another villager. As amazed as she was that he could've fought in a wretched state, she couldn't have let him live and inform the other vampires about the location of their den, especially after he'd shown up the village idiot so badly. As he remained on the ground, she raised her shovel overhead, and prepared to smash his skull with one mighty blow.

But before she could've attacked, she felt another grip on her trusted tool. The lycan looked back, and saw the idiot had recovered and took hold of the edge of her shovel. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Andreiia!" he demanded.

"I'm doing what _you_ can't!" the female lycan shot back. "Now let go and I'll finish off this pest!"

"No!" the poser sharply retorted. "I gave _no_ order to kill him, stand down!"

Andreiia might've been impressed that the supposed hero was trying to sound like a leader, had his orders not been so idiotic. Instead of complying, she responded with a kick to the nether regions, which made him howl in pain. Once he'd lost his grip on her shovel, she nailed him in the back of the head with it, which sent him to the ground again.

She turned back to the battle, and saw the vampire had somehow regained his footing, and struggled to fend off the villagers. It annoyed her that the invader was still alive, and planned to correct the mistake. She watched as the enemy barely dodged another lunge, and nailed his attacked in the back of the head, which knocked him to the ground. He then swung around and nailed another man-beast with a wild backhanded blow that nearly took himself off his feet. Andreiia quickly seized the opportunity, moved in and swung her shovel with all her strength, which smashed right into the back of his head.

The villagers ceased their attack when they saw him take the crushing blow, and stagger a couple of steps forward. They growled at him, all prepared to pounce at the first sign of hostility. He stumbled around, and managed to turn towards his attack, an incoherent look on his wounded features. He staggered towards her, seemingly on nothing more than instinct. He swayed deliriously for several seconds, staggered and then collapsed forward, his face lodged squarely in her chest.

Andreiia's lupine eyes went wide at had just occurred, her mouth hung open in disbelief. She looked about, and saw her fellow lycans were also startled by what just occurred. A round of confused snarls rang throughout the gathered throng, which soon died down. A couple of the male lycans snickered, then chuckled for a moment, and finally burst out laughing, joined by everyone save for the apparent victim of the bad joke.

"Stop that laughing!" the black-haired werewolf snarled at her compatriots.

"I don't believe it," the red-haired female lycan uttered in between laughs as she held her stomach, "you actually found one, Andreiia!"

"I'll say!" one of the man-beasts added. "This is the first time I've seen any man fall for you!"

"So much for you being a lone wolf!" a second man-beast added.

"You surprise me, Andreiia!" Crina spoke up, a lewd expression on her beastly visage. "I didn't know you had a thing for vampires."

"_**SHUT UP!**_"

"What's going on here!" an aged yet clearly displeased voice demanded.

The joviality quickly died down, and everyone looked behind the supposedly stricken lycan. The dark-haired werecreature slowly turned her head, and saw an old man, clad in a plain brown jacket with a colorless shirt underneath. He wore heavy brown pants, and dark leather boots. Though his slightly hunched frame looked frail in comparison to the others, and he supported himself with a cane, the steely look in his aged eyes denoted nothing of weakness.

"Elder," one of the man-beasts began, as he started to resume his humanoid form, "a vampire, invaded the village. He tried to kill Lord Cornell!"

"That's right!" a second man added, as he became humanoid again. "We were fighting to avenge our Lord! We couldn't let that fiend tell Dracula where our den is!"

"For all we know," a third villager spoke up, "he could _be _Dracula! Who else could hurt our Lord like this?"

"T'ch, don't give him that much credit," Andreiia snarled in response, pushed the unconscious figure off her person, and instinctively covered herself. "Dracula would _never_ be this inane!"

The newcomer looked to her for a moment, and suppressed a chuckle. He then turned to the fallen lycan, and saw the various wounds and burns on his body. He knelt down by him for a closer look. When he did, he felt a distinct aura about the wounds, which told him they were inflicted by magic.

"Elder," Crina spoke with a worried look as she came to his side, "will our Lord be alright?"

"Relax, my dear, I'm sure he'll be fine. After all, he _is_ the Blue Crescent Moon."

"Hmm, yes, that's true," the blonde woman replied with a dreamy look.

The dark-haired woman seethed and looked away when she heard the title. "_Blue Crescent Moon,_" she thought to herself. "_If he really was _that_ powerful, Dracula would've never returned. They talk a big game, so why can't they back it up? Why, why does he always come back?_" She then folded her arms under her chest, and began to walk away from the scene, which disgusted her to no end.

"Are you alright, Andreiia," the elder called out.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me, Old Wolf." She continued towards her own domicile, and desperately wanted to forget about the horrible night.

* * *

Tsukune found himself walking down a well-lit corridor, with aluminum lockers to his right. That fact alone told him he was inside a school, but it wasn't the academy, or his old junior high school. He was a bit disconcerted about how he'd gotten there, when he last remembered himself being in Gin's village.

"_What the hecht,_" he tasked himself mentally, "_what is this place?_" He immediately became suspicious, as he feared he'd been trapped in another nightmare by his enemies.

As he tried to look around, he found he couldn't move his head, not even his eyes. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn't cooperate. It seemed that his body was moving on its own accord, which began to frighten him. "_Oh no, have I been charmed,_" he asked himself mentally, as he recalled the time he'd been bedazzled by Kurumu, not to mention the time Kokoa's pet spellbound the entire female student body, not to mention Nekonome herself.

"Tai-chan," a girl's voice called out from behind, "wait up!"

Tsukune felt his body come to a stop, though it didn't turn in the direction of the voice. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl around his age, with thick orange tresses that stopped just above her shoulders. He tried to get a better look, but found his body wouldn't cooperate, which was really starting to annoy him.

"Tai-chan," the girl spoke up, "what's wrong? You're not yourself today."

"I'm fine," the body's voice replied flatly as it continued to look ahead.

Tsukune mentally gasped when he heard what was just spoken. "_That was, _my_ voice! What's going on __here?_"

"What did you think you were doing," the body asked as it finally looked in the girl's direction, "talking to that _demon._"

The brown-haired youth cringed in response, as he heard the venom in the stranger's voice. He could've never imagined himself sounding so hateful, and it worried him.

"Oh, Tai-chan," the girl replied with an insulted expression, "must you start that again? And _he_ was talking to me, just because he thinks he's cool doesn't mean he's a demon. Tai-chan, I'm starting to worry about you."

"Worry more about yourself, Hakuba-san," the familiar and yet unfamiliar youth replied in a dismissive tone, "you'll live longer that way."

"_Hey!_" Tsukune snapped heatedly. "_Is that any way to talk to a girl? Apologize right now!_"

The orange-haired girl growled in aggravation as she placed her hands on her hips. "Must you always treat me like I'm some sort of stranger? We've known each other for a good year now, you _can_ call me Megumi-chan. I'd _really _appreciate it," she concluded with an indicative smile as she tilted her head to the side.

Tsukune blinked within what seemed to be his own body as he pondered the name. "_Megumi Hakuba?_" After a few moments, he found he'd never heard it before. Moreover, he noted the girl wasn't calling him by his name, which he found quite baffling. "_What in the world is going on here?_" He looked back to the girl, and felt compelled to grant her request. Unfortunately, the body didn't share his sentiments, and turned towards the end of the hall.

"Tai-chan!" Megumi called out.

"This is not your battle," the sullen youth replied without looking in her direction, "this is something _I_ must do alone."

Tsukune found himself seething at what had just occurred. "_H-how dare you!_" he protested. "_Blowing off a nice girl like her, who do you think you are!_"

But instead of a verbal response, Tsukune felt a sudden jolt in his mind, which disrupted his train of thought. Once he regained his bearings, he found himself outside the body he was trapped within, and saw the back of what appeared to be himself, clad in a gray military attire. "_Hey! Where are you going,_" he demanded, "_are you just going to leave her like that?_" He immediately looked to the schoolgirl, who wore an unsurprisingly hurt expression on her young face. But before he could've acted, his surroundings began to blur and grow darker by the moment. "_What the-_" he exclaimed, confused by the turn of events. "_No, stop! Stop, you idiot! Are you gonna leave her all alone? _**Are you?**"

* * *

A few moments later, Tsukune found himself surrounded by darkness. "What happened," he asked himself, confused by what he'd just witnessed. He then gasped, as he realized he'd spoken audibly. He blinked his eyes repeatedly, and moved his head to the side. "Ah, I must be back in my body again." He looked about, and found himself lying on a somewhat soft surface. But when he tried to rise, he felt himself restricted by very strong chains. Once his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness about him, he saw he was chained to a bed. "What is this," he asked indignantly, quite vexed by the fetters on his person. "What's going on here?" He looked about, and finally saw a door on the right side of the room. "Hey! Let me out of here!"

A light yet sinister feminine chuckle echoed throughout the room, which instantly got his attention. "I would waste my breath if I were you, Tsukune," a dark seductive voice spoke within the blackness, "no one can hear you in your dreams."

The bound youth gasped, as he recognized the voice. A heartbeat later, a familiar and sensuous figure arose from the floor, as if she'd ascended from Hell itself. "_**YOU!**_" he shouted angrily, seething in hatred at the sight of the Succubus Queen. "What is the meaning of this! You really think you can fool me again with these cheap tricks? Forget it, I want _nothing_ to do with you!" He immediately looked away, sickened by her very presence.

The demoness merely replied with another light chuckle. "Cheap tricks," she asked in sardonic amusement. "You really think I was, faking it?"

Tsukune winced at chagrin at the double meaning of her words, and the images it generated. It was then that he felt a light weight on the other side of the bed. His first guess was she'd sat on the aforementioned side, and stubbornly refused to look in her direction. "Enough!" he snapped. "How dare you make me a prisoner in my own body." He finally looked towards her, and saw she had indeed sat on the bed, her luscious back turned to him. "Who is that other me," he demanded with a vexed expression. "Answer me!"

Lilith chuckled to herself in response. "And what makes you believe I had anything to do with that, dear Tsukune," she asked coyly as she looked over her shoulder towards him.

"Don't play stupid with me! You created all those horrible nightmares I endured, especially that one where I met myself! I want answers, and I want them **now!**"

The sultry temptress laughed in delight, with no hint of fear in her reaction. "Or else what," she asked in a seductive voice, "what will you do if I refuse to, consent?"

Tsukune growled in aggravation, livid at his enemy's constant use of sexual references.

The Succubus Queen shifted her position, and laid on her left side near the edge of the bed, which gave the captive an uncensored view of her entire voluptuous body. The bound youth closed his eyes, and he strove to get the image of Lilith's shape out of his mind.

"Seriously now," the demoness began in a breathy whisper, "do you really believe it's that simple? I'm honored that you believe I possess such capabilities, though I fear you're giving me too much credit."

Tsukune was taken aback by her response, and cautiously looked in her violet eyes. "What do you mean," he asked through clenched teeth.

"Think about it," Lilith spoke in a more serious tone, "what you're suggesting is we've somehow created a replica of you to make people forget what's become of real you, isn't that right?"

"And you're saying you haven't," the former academy student retorted accusingly, "you vile demons would do _anything_ to torment me! You know I have the power to crush Dracula, so you're trying to use my own weakness against me! Well it's not gonna work!" he declared angrily.

"Calm down, Tsukune," Lilith replied with a reproachful look, which would've been more effective had she not been unclothed, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. Do you realize how much time and energy would go into such a ruse?"

"And when has _that_ ever been a problem," the captive youth interrupted. "You fiends have the power to put whatever sick-minded plans into action, don't even try to pretend otherwise."

The succubus inhaled deeply, which pushed out her huge bosom for Tsukune's viewing, and emitted an aggravated sigh. "If you're going to be petty, you won't learn anything. Weren't _you_ the one who wanted to know about, _him,_" she asked with a stern look.

An angry hiss escaped from the prisoner's clenched teeth, livid at the demoness for her defiance. "Then tell me," he finally conceded.

Lilith gave him a pleased chuckle in response. "Much better," she remarked with a broad smile. "To replace someone as effectively as you're suggesting, one must mimic every word, every action, every thought of its intended target, thus losing his own identity for the sake of the mission. And they must do it every second of every day of every year. One mistake and the ruse becomes, flaccid."

Tsukune groaned in unbridled chagrin. "Will you stop that!"

The succubus gave him a dark grin. "And that's just someone posing as you. To create such a perfect replica that it would fool everyone indefinitely, is a task only possible in one's fantasies. Even our powers have their limits."

"Baloney!" the former academy student countered. "All you'd need is, a lock of my hair or, a few of my cells, or my blood! Yes, my blood! Then you could create a clone of me and program it to act anyway you want! It happens all the time in the movies!"

The demoness looked quite chagrined by his response. Her slender right hand came up and slapped itself over her face. "This is the _real_ world, Tsukune, there's no such thing as cloning. And before you say anything," she interjected, and then brought her face close to the prisoner's own visage, "what you're seeing is _very_ real."

"What," the troubled youth asked with a bewildered look.

"That's right," Lilith responded as she looked coyly over her shoulder at him. "This _dream,_ is nothing more than a reflection of your real predicament. And once it ends, _this,_" she continued, as she motioned to the room around them, "is where you'll be. Chained up like an animal, guarded by an unruly band of savage beasts, all waiting for an excuse to finish you off. Though a couple don't even need that. Not a very, pleasurable position," she commented with a dark smile, "now is it?"

The chained youth grimaced at her choice of words, as he struggled to keep them from distracting him. "You're wrong!" he shot back. "Senpai would never do this! We're friends, we look out for one another!"

The blue-haired temptress threw her head back in dark laughter. "_Senpai,_ you say," she replied with a wry smirk. "You really think he's your friend? Don't delude yourself, Tsukune Aono, you have no friends in this world. Those villagers didn't seem very friendly, now did they?"

The Japanese teenager gasped at what she'd relayed. Though he couldn't have understood the villagers' words, their hostility and murderous intents towards him were undeniable. Even the eldest man there looked at him with suspicion, far more than Kyouko ever did. He quickly brushed the thoughts aside as he glared at the demoness. "Stop trying to mess with my head!" he snapped at her. "All I need to do is talk to them and they'll understand I'm not their enemy!"

"Tsukune," the demoness replied bluntly, "this isn't some schoolyard squabble, this is war. These stupid beasts have hated vampires for hundreds of years, along with those associated with them. And _you_ think you can end such a long-standing feud by merely _talking_ with them? You overestimate yourself, my dear Tsukune. Those mongrels will tear you apart for being so foolhardy, they've killed for less than that."

"That's only because of Dracula!" Tsukune countered. "Once I've destroyed him, they'll have no reason to hate me or anyone else, and there'll be no more war. I'll see to that!"

Lilith all but erupted in uproarious laughter, and nearly fell off the bed as a result. "Are you serious," she asked in between laughs, which caused her huge bosom to heave vigorously. "I can't believe what I'm hearing, you really do overestimate yourself. Or, is it you underestimate the great conflict you foolishly believe you can solely resolve?"

Tsukune was livid at her shameless taunts, and struggled against his chains. But soon his rage gave way to chagrin as the voluptuous demoness rolled directly atop him, and her full torso weighed down upon his own. A fierce eruption of blood came from his nose, and another eruption seemed imminent from within his pants. "Get off me!" he demanded, as he fought to resist his rampaging hormones. "Get off me!"

"And if I _refuse,_" the succubus asked, as she rubbed her hips against his own, "what then?" She then leaned forward, and licked the side of his neck with her tongue. "Whatever will you do," she asked in a seductive yet defiant whisper.

The former academy student felt an inferno of raging emotions within him, which threatened to tear his mind apart. His frenzy only increased as he felt her fangs graze against his neck. Unable to maintain his self-control, he lunged forth and drove his own fangs into Lilith's exposed neck. He felt her whole body tremble with pain, which he found satisfying. He found her taste even more exquisite, so he hungrily imbibed her dark vitae, and planned to drain her dry for what she'd wrought to him. And the more blood he siphoned, he more he wanted to imbibe, so he increased his feeding accordingly.

Tsukune gasped in shock, as he realized he wasn't thinking like a human. He quickly withdrew his fangs, and looked to the ghastly wounds he'd inflicted. "My word, did I do that?" He spat up the remnants of blood from his mouth, disgusted by what he'd wrought. He remembered how he'd also drained Belnades, and how much he enjoyed it. Even worse, he could feel Lilith's blood coursing through his veins, which throbbed from the immense youki it contained. Wrought with guilt, he used his tongue to seal the wounds he'd made, just like he'd felt Moka do to him countless times. The very thought of name magnified his guilt, as he recalled her angry visage from one of his dreams. "Moka-san," he spoke in a low voice, as his heart sunk like a stone in a pond.

"Still thinking about her, are you," a familiar voice asked.

He looked up, and saw his supposed captor looked somewhat gaunt, as he was certain he often did when Moka imbibed too much of his blood. "Lilith-san, I-"

"It's alright," the demoness replied with a wan smile, "I'm not mad at you Tsukune. You did what you had to, right?"

The Aono lad looked away, sickened with himself. Not only had he clearly enjoyed drinking her blood, he could feel he'd released from her ministrations, which made his shame seem limitless. "What am I?"

"I told you, a great work is beginning within you, this is but one step towards its completion."

Tsukune continued to look away, far from encouraged by the succubus' words.

"And once it is complete, you won't remember these painful times."

The brown-haired youth looked back to her, his startled eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I'm a succubus," the blue-haired demoness replied with a warm smile. "For now, allow me to comfort you. It'll be the only comfort you'll find, in this dark lonely world of ours."

Tsukune blinked his eyes repeatedly, as he processed what the temptress had just spoken. "_Lonely,_" he asked himself mentally. As he considered his current state, he realized he was far from all his friends, even Moka. His family was dead, and the academy was apparently destroyed. Even Gin seemed a stranger to him, unable to understand him. And the villagers tried to kill him without even hearing him out. Even worse, he feared the three he saw in his vision were still alive, and they clearly killed youkai on sight. He definitely knew it was true for Alucard, and didn't relish the thought of encountering him again. He instinctively reached out, and found himself hugging the succubus tightly against him. He heard her moan in response, yet he didn't care. He wasn't sure when the chains off, or even how, but when compared to what he'd discerned about his situation, the answer seemed irrelevant. "_Lilith-san is right. I am... alone._"

* * *

Deep within the great forest, laid an old village that had remained virtually unchanged since its creation two centuries before, save for a single dirt trail that led out of the small settlement. Barely a handful of people remained, as most had begun to move and embrace the outside world, since they believed the danger had passed, along with their need for isolation.

Within the weathered old church a single elderly man knelt before a great altar, which depicted the crucified Jesus, complete with crown of thorns. He was clad in a black dress shirt with matching pants, and a white band around his neck, the traditional garb of the Catholic Church. The man had served as the village pastor for several decades, and had hoped he could've departed from a peaceful world when his time eventually came. Though the hour was very late, he continued his duties regardless, which reaffirmed the notion to him that old habits indeed died hard.

Suddenly, the penitent man cringed as he felt searing flames close to him, coupled with unimaginable evil energy. He fearfully opened his eyes, and saw the interior of the church was on fire. The pews that lined both sides of the assembly hall were also aflame, as were the holy tomes they contained. "What in the world!" he exclaimed, thunderstruck by the unexpected havoc around him.

He looked ahead, and saw the great altar had been broken, its pieces scattered about the floor. He quickly realized the malevolent energy he sensed earlier had come from near the altar. He fearfully looked up, and saw an inhuman figure hovering over the desecrated altar. By his estimates, the sinister being was between three and four feet taller than an regular human, and radiated an aura that could've only been described as satanic. It gazed down upon him with a brooding look of contempt, its red eyes glowing in unbridled hatred. Its chocolate brown hair ran to its shoulders, and flowed on its own accord. It wore a somewhat ragged black coat, with heavy pauldrons sewn onto it, and stained with blood. The coat was opened, which revealed the figure's terrifyingly powerful physique. A single thick leather strap ran from its left shoulder down to its right side, its entire length decorated by foreign symbols, which glowed an ominous shade of red. Its thick forearms were protected by spiked metal bracers, which had devilish looking skulls engraved into them. Its powerful legs were covered by form-fitting armored pants, which had pulsating red streaks that ran through them. Its feet were adorned by heavy black boots, which were also covered with blood, clearly from its victims who it crushed underfoot. As the old priest took in the figure's entirety, he knew of but one individual it could've been. "_**YOU!**_"

"**Behold, foolish humans!**" the figure announced in a booming dual voice that echoed throughout the ruined church. "_**This**_** is the future that awaits you! From this point forward, **_**I **_**am your god!**" He thrust his arms out to the side, and a titanic explosion of demonic energy consumed everything beneath him, including the terrified priest in its midst.

* * *

The elderly man gasped in shock, as if he'd awakened from a terrible dream. He instinctively clutched his heart, and felt its rapid beating beneath his touch. He cautiously looked about, and found himself inside the church, which showed no signs of the decadence he'd witnessed but a few moments ago, save for heavy darkness which indicated it was well into the night. He looked ahead, and saw the holy altar before him, free of any visible blemish. He quickly inspected himself, and found he was still on his knees. He absently rubbed his face with his aged hand, and blinked his weary eyes. "Dear Lord," he began, a hint of chagrin in his voice, "did I fall asleep before the altar?" He became pensive for a few moments, and couldn't recall himself going to bed, so he surmised his assessment was indeed accurate. He was even more embarrassed that he'd fallen asleep while praying, yet found himself unharmed. "Hmm, perhaps it is true, those who are close to God can rest easy." His wrinkled face then became downcast, as he recalled the horrible vision he'd received. "The devil, lives," he asked in a worried voice, which cracked with age. "Oh Lord, how can this be? Does this mean, Your chosen heroes, have failed?"

Before he could've received an answer, a banging sound came from behind the double doors at the rear of the church. "Elder Nandru!" a muffled voice called out from outside, its desperation clearly evident.

The old priest quickly turned about, and made his way towards the exit. He quickly unlocked them and opened the doors wide. Once he did he saw a man in his late forties before him, a frightened look on his rugged features. The newcomer wore a heavy dark blue jacket, with matching cap as well as trousers, and heavy boots on his feet. In his left hand was a burning oil lamp. The priest recognized him as the night watchman, Costin, who'd remained on duty even after the threat of Dracula had supposedly passed. "What is it, my son," the gray-haired man.

"Elder," the newcomer began urgently, "there was some, strange magic flash, coming from the Belnades house!"

The man of the cloth gasped in response. He wasn't entirely surprised about its location, he was more amazed that it had even occurred, especially when considering the current circumstances. But as he recalled his vision, it occurred to him that all might not have been as peaceful as everyone believed.

"Elder," Costin asked with a worried expression.

"I'm fine," the priest hastily replied, "where in the house did you see it?"

"Up on the second story."

The elder nodded in response, as he noted that was where the Belnades family slept. "Let's go."

Both men quickly made their way to the former Belnades residence, a somewhat large yet far from extravagant two-story house large enough for the formerly prosperous family, as well as a few others. The elder reached into his coat pocket, and produced the master key for the town. His aged hands ached somewhat as he turned the key in the lock, which resulted in the desired clicking noise. Before he opened the door, he removed the crucifix from around his neck, and kept it close to him. After a silent prayer, he turned the knob and warily led the way inside.

The interior of the Belnades estate was very still, as much of the furniture was covered in long white sheets to protect them from dust, which covered the carpeted floor as well as filled the air. The only light came from the watchman's lamp. It was clearly obvious that no one had lived within the domicile since it had been abandoned ten years earlier. Both men kept their eyes peeled for any form of hostility, as the soon reached the main stairwell.

They reached the second floor, which was also liberally covered with dust. The elder man coughed a bit from the dust getting into his lungs, yet he managed to persevere. He opened the first door to his right, which he knew was the master bedroom. Both men inspected the medium-sized room, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The younger man looked around the king-sized bed, as well as under it. The old priest held out his small cross, as he searched for any supernatural phenomena. Elder Nandru suppressed a sigh, for the room had belonged to the elder Belnadeses, before they were lured into a trap and killed by Dracula's servants. After a couple of minutes, their search produced nothing so they left the room.

They made their way to the second door and cautiously opened it. Though the chamber was technically a guest room, it wasn't that much smaller than the master bedroom, per se. And the old priest knew the reason, for it served as the chamber of Charlotte Aulin Morris, after her husband passed on before the final battle took place. They searched the chamber diligently, yet again found nothing, save for dust and the pang of bitter memories the sorceress tried to leave behind.

Finally, he opened the third door in the hall, which he knew belonged to the youngest of the family, Marissa Belnades, one of the three heroes from the Demon Castle Wars. As the door opened and the view inside became apparent, and the younger man held his lamp into the doorway. Both men gasped as the light revealed a small figure on the bed. They immediately went to the bedside, and found what appeared to be a small girl, face down on the mattress, a long dark brown cloak covering her frame. Upon her head of neatly-trimmed brown hair was a large witch's hat.

"What in the world," Costin asked with a wary look, "who is she? How did she get here?"

"I don't know," the old priest remarked as his aged eyes regarded her, the only sign of life came from the rising and falling of her back, which indicated she was still breathing. "I feel, some strange magic about her, but it doesn't seem to be evil. Help me get her onto her back."

"Right."

The pair moved her into the aforementioned position. And once they did they did they saw the girl had distinctly foreign features, and couldn't have looked more than twelve or so. They noted her cloak was tied in the front by a large yellow bow. Beneath it she wore a bright red turtleneck shirt, with what seemed to be a brown vest over it. They also saw she was clad in an overly short skirt with inappropriate yellow stockings. Nandru grumbled audibly, as he knew Marissa would've never been caught in such attire. His companion shared his sentiments, as a scowl appeared on his weathered face.

Once they got over their initial disapproval of her choice of clothing, they saw she had no visible wounds, but was simply unconscious. At that moment, a light groan came from the stranger's body. The next thing they saw was her lips moving, which indicated she was trying to speak. Both men leaned over so they could've heard her better. "Kurumu-san," she spoke in a barely audible whisper, "Ruby-san, Mizore-san."

"San," the watchman asked with a peculiar look, "is that supposed to be a family name?"

"San," the old priest asked, and then pondered the issue. A moment later, the truth dawned on him. "Ah, I see, she's Japanese."

"What," Costin inquired with a flabbergasted look.

"Yes, just like that couple who came with Lord Alucard ten years back, the Hakubas."

The night watchman looked to him, and then the girl. He then remembered the couple in question, who'd come assist the Three Millennium Heroes. A heavy sigh escaped him, as he remembered how the battle ended. He looked to the bed the strange girl lied upon, and recalled how devastated its former owner had been, and how she'd departed the village soon after and never returned. A bitter exhale escaped him as he shook off the painful memories and focused on the task at hand. "But how in the world did she get _here,_" he inquired pointedly as he motioned to the still girl.

Nandru lightly stroked his chin as he considered the matter. "Hm, I wish I knew. Was this just an accident, or was she trying to escape from something?"

The younger man gave him a horrified look, as he clearly hadn't considered the possibility of another possible threat arising after Dracula's defeat.

"Moka-san," the small girl groaned, still oblivious to her surroundings, "Tsukune-san."

The priests' eyes went wide at what he'd just heard. "Did she just say 'Moka?'"

"Uh, yes," Costin replied with an uncertain look.

Nandru's eyes went wide, as an awed exhale escaped him. As he thought about the vision he received at the church, the appearance of the foreign child, and the mention of the strange name, everything fell into place in his mind. "Ah, now I see."

"I'm afraid I don't," the watchman rebutted, as his eyes showed he was desperately trying to make sense of the situation. "Elder, what on earth does this all mean?"

"Elder, what does this mean?"

The village pastor looked up to him, a sage-like expression on his aged features. "It means, the time has come." He then looked meaningfully upon the comatose foreign girl on Marissa's old bed. "The time, for the prophecy, has come."

* * *

What the hecht? What sort of cryptic nonsense is this?

"_Don't say that, you're the one who thought it up._"

Right, I knew that. Anyway, what does the village pastor mean? Will Tsukune survive in the hostile village of Cornelius? And will he able to keep his sanity safe from the charms of Lilith?

"_Kurumu, if you ever pull anything like that with Tsukune, I am going to rip your arms off and shove them up your rectum._"

"Hey! What do you take me for?"

"Stop it, Ura-chan, Kurumu's not _that_ bad!"

"_Oh really? Look at who her ruler is._"

Oi vey. Anyway tune for a short omake followed by Part II Chapter XV The Path Is Set


	20. Part II Omake VI

A/N Hello everyone, hope I haven't kept you all waiting too long. I actually had this finished before chapter 14 of the main story, isn't it funny how motivation works.

"_Enough excuses, get on with it already._"

Geez, testy aren't we, Ura-chan?

Anyway, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their licensed owners. And now, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Omake VI  
Return to the Knoll

_Monstrous laughter echoed throughout the chaotic expanse, which seemed the intensify the dimensional cacophony. "_**Insipid creatures,**_" a horrific voice spoke, that contained nothing even remotely human, "_**all of time is mine to command!**_" A swell of indescribable energy was felt, coupled with a plethora of screams that were all but drowned out by the surrounding chaos. "_**DISAPPEAR!**_" the voice declared, as everything was engulfed in a cataclysmic explosion meant to destroy dimensions, intermixed with terrified screams._

* * *

"Ruby!" an aged irritable voice snapped, which was followed by a fierce stinging sensation. "Ruby!"

The sharp pain brought the prone woman back into consciousness. She found her surroundings were blurred when she opened her eyes, her body still aching from being attacked while she was unconscious. She blinked her wine-colored eyes multiple times, and finally made out a slouched figure looming over, clad in an old tattered brown robe. An equally tattered half cloak and hood combination covered its shoulders and head, which left only the face visible. The dark-haired woman gasped she made out the figures' deeply wrinkled and twisted face, marred at every angle by exposed veins, which she knew only too well. "Master!" she exclaimed in shock, startled to have seen her old mentor alive once more.

"What are you doing back here!" the old witch snarled with a hateful glare. "I told you to tend to our creatures!"

"W-what," Ruby asked with a flabbergasted look.

The wizened figure reached down, roughly grabbed the perplexed woman by the hair, and roughly puller her to her feet. "Don't give me that, you incompetent dolt!" the vengeful spellcaster snapped, and then callously tossed her into a nearby wall. "There's no time for your dawdling, we must complete our army before Belnades discovers us!"

The former administrative assistant winced slightly as she was hurled into the wall. Even though she knew the throw was relatively weak by youkai standards, she was hurt more by the reminder of the brutal treatment she once received while under Oyakata's care. Then, she remembered her master's last words, and her eyes went wide. "Belnades, she's still alive?"

"Hmph, it would've been a boon to us if she had perished," the old witch grumbled, her lips twisted in a disgusted scowl. "But no, she still lives. And even without Belmont by her side, she's still a powerful adversary. That's why we must complete our army!" she proclaimed as she pointed towards her. "And destroy the foul humans that have caused us so much suffering, and Belnades with them."

Ruby gave her a blank stare, as she wondered how her old mentor had known of their names.

"Now go!" the elderly woman snapped irritably. "And do not return without my consent!"

The younger witch trembled beneath her seething gaze, and reverently bowed her head. "As you wish, Master." She quickly turned and left the room, as fresh tears ran down her face.

* * *

Oyakata scowled as she felt Ruby's presence disappear beyond her perceptive abilities. She was incensed that her pupil had returned to the house without permission, even more so without her notice. That fact puzzled her as he looked back to where she found her. "_Curious,_" she thought to herself, "_her aura felt, different somehow._" She scowled to herself as she continued to gaze at the floor. "_Her clothes were different, too._" She then looked back to where her old pupil had departed. "_What in the world is going on here?_"

The old witch made her way over to the dilapidated mantle, which had a single portrait upon it. With her aged hands she removed it and looked longingly at the portrait in her hand. It displayed herself, her pupil, and a third woman with somewhat curly dirty blonde hair. A regretful sigh left her as she regarded the old picture. "Morganna, where have you gone? We need you," she continued, as she placed the picture back on the mantle, "now more than ever." She then turned from the mantle and headed to her favorite chair. She slowly sat herself down, and collected her thoughts.

* * *

The dark-haired woman went out into the sunflower fields, heaviness in her young heart. Though she was glad to have met her old master again, the pain she suffered reminded her of her past sins, along with what followed. It pained her to have lost Oyakata once, the thought of witnessing her death a second time grieved her, even worse than the time she lost her parents long ago.

As she continued through the fields, she felt an aura of uncertainty about her. She looked about, and felt a lot of eyes locked on her, and knew their source. "_The Garigarious plants,_" she thought to herself, "_do they not recognize me?_" She gait became more cautious, and though she felt no murderous intent, she remained guarded nonetheless. "_Maybe I have come a parallel world, just as Saint Germain said._" Her thoughts then turned to her missing friends, and her face became downtrodden. "_But what happened to the others, to... Yukari-chan?_"

She quickly pushed the distracting thoughts out of her mind, and focused on the task at hand. As he proceeded forward, she sensed a familiar youki just ahead, concealed underneath the thick flowerbed. She quickened her pace, and realized it was near a dirt path that cut through the sunflower fields. Further up the path she saw two humans that were headed in her direction. Though she couldn't have heard their conversation from her vantage point, she saw they were a couple, both clad in short-sleeved shirts as well as denim shorts. Both of them had backpacks slung over their shoulders, which indicated they were sightseers. Ruby thought about it, and realized she'd seen them the same day she first encountered Yukari.

No sooner than she'd begun thinking about her fellow witch that she felt a murderous intent from the flowerbed, which came exactly from where the familiar youki was hidden. The ominous feeling spread forth towards the path, and the monstrous plants emerged from beneath the flowers and latched onto the man with their tendrils.

"No!" the woman cried out, as she desperately clung to her partner's arm. "Don't leave me!"

Ruby was genuinely conflicted, and though her first impulse would've been rescue the innocent pair, she also knew she might've announced her own presence. And since she was in a parallel dimension, she was nervous about the ramifications of her actions. Moreover, she was certain Oyakata would've realized she wasn't the Ruby she knew, and would've doubtlessly lashed out against her.

"Someone!" the adult woman desperately cried out, "someone help us!"

Unable to ignore her cries any longer, the dark-haired woman raised her scepter aloft, and its jeweled center glowed brightly. Her magical wings materialized on her back, and she leaped high into the air and shot forth of barrage of deadly ebony feathers towards the monsters she'd once cultivated. She watched as the unwholesome beasts were cut to pieces by her deadly projectiles, which made her heart ache in response. "I'm sorry," she whispered, distressed by her actions.

Suddenly, more Garigariouses emerged from the flowerbed, only they targeted her instead of the human sightseers. She extended her feathers out, and slashed them across like rows of blades. The deadly plants were again to cut to pieces, as body parts and plant fluids went flying everywhere. After a dozen had been felled, the others retreated back under the sunflowers.

Ruby sighed as she gazed as the carnage beneath her. A sizable patch of land had been destroyed by her battle, which brought her no pleasure, as she'd always strove to protect nature rather than destroy it. She looked down the path, and saw the two human travelers gazing fearfully at her.

"What in the world is that," the woman asked as she assisted her partner. "Is that, the witch who lives on this hill?"

Before the dark-haired woman could've responded, the same murderous intent flared within the flowerbed, as a familiar figure arose from beneath the sunflowers and hovered high above them. "Who dares interfere with our righteous pl-"

"Oh my word," the male sightseer exclaimed, "there's _two_ of them!"

"Run away!" his partner cried out as both fled down the path.

Ruby failed to notice their escape, as her attention was locked upon the figure before her, who wore a shocked expression on her face. Though the newcomer's attire was somewhat dissimilar, everything else was the same.

"_Oh no,_" the witch thought worriedly, "_it's... me! Shoot, what am I going to do now?_"

The second Ruby gaped at her for several long moments, then quickly took the skies and flew at top speed over the fields. The former administrative assistant gasped as she realized her trajectory. "No! She's going to tell the Master!" She then leaped into the air and flew after her counterpart.

* * *

The old witch found herself trapped against the mantle, as she trembled in naked fear at the sight of the sinister being before her. His skull-like visage, along with the seemingly infinite youki within him, made virtually no mistake about his identity. Even though he seemed to lack the expected implement, she had no doubts he could've summoned it whenever he chose.

"Shinigami," she began in a quivering voice, truly terrified of the dark figure, "why have you come here?"

A bemused chuckle came from the newcomer. "Are you truly surprised," he asked with a wry smirk, "you knew I would've come for you shortly. I hope you're not too disappointed."

Oyakata growled in anger, livid at the thought of being slain just before she could've achieved her long-sought goal.

"But enough of this discourse," the bald man continued, as his smirk faded, replaced by a deadly stare, "where's the girl?"

The old witch gasped in shock, taken aback by what she'd heard. "You've come for Ruby," she asked with a frightened look. "You... you can't be serious! This cannot be _her_ time!"

"That is not your decision to make, it's mine." He slowly stepped towards her quivering form, as he gestured with his right hand. From under his coat sleeve emerged a long deadly blade, which exuded an infinite murderous intent. "Now," he continued, as he pointed his new weapon at Oyakata's heart, "where is she?"

Before she could've responded, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind the intruder. He casually looked over his shoulder, and watched as a dark-haired girl into the living room of the ranch house. "Master, I-" she began, and then saw the unwanted guest in their midst. "You! Get away from the Master!" She quickly pointed her staff at the enemy, a deadly look in her wine-colored eyes.

The old witch blinked her wrinkled eyes, as she took in the newcomer. She was clad in a long skirt, along with a sleeveless black top. Her gloves and stockings looked very worn, and she wore hooped bracelets on her wrists. Oyakata saw she wore the same clothes she did before she went out into the fields, which began to puzzle her. "_Wait a minute,_" she thought to herself, "_if Ruby just got back, who did I find in her room?_"

"And if I refuse," the bald man asked with an indifferent air.

"Then you **DIE!**" the dark-haired girl shot back.

"Ruby, no!" the old witch called out, but soon saw her pupil had summoned her ebony wings, and realized her words were in vain. Her feathers stretched out like tendrils and began to constrict the intruder, whose expression didn't change. Soon his entire body was covered with tendrils, which then mercilessly tightened on its target.

The hundred-year-old spellcaster watched from her vantage point, as her attacker had apparently been crushed to death. However, she soon realized she hadn't heard the crushing of bones or flesh, and had seen no blood from between Ruby's tendrils. She also felt the same murderous intent in the air, and realized her enemy hadn't been vanquished.

"How uninspiring," the intruder's voice spoke from nearby.

The younger witch gasped in shock, and couldn't do anything else before a long blade slashed across, right above her shoulders. A terrified look seemed frozen on her features, as her scepter dropped from her hand and clattered on the floor. A few tense moments later, a red line appeared on her neck, and her head slowly toppled off its base and fell onto the floor, followed soon after by her suddenly lifeless body.

"_**RUUUUUUBYYYYYYYYYY!**_" the aged woman screamed in horror, aghast that her only companion had been slain before her very eyes.

The intruder looked down upon the recently deceased witch, and stretched forth his left hand. No sooner than he did that a small glowing sphere emerged from Ruby's body, and slowly floated towards his outstretched hand. Once it got within range, he tightly closed his gloved fist, and small streaks of light shot from between his fingers.

The old witch gasped in horror, as she realized he'd taken her adoptive daughter's soul. Her sorrow gave way to anger, as she stepped away from the mantle. "You monster!" she declared indignantly. "Give her back!"

The intruder chuckled to himself as he regarded her. "And you really think you're in any position to make demands," he asked with a bemused smirk. "Not that it matters, you'll be joining her soon enough."

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind the murderous figure, and the girl who Oyakata found earlier charged into the living room. "Master!" she began, but then saw the man in the purple coat, and her expression turned vengeful. "Colton! What are _you_ doing here!"

"Ah, there you are," the bald man spoke pleasantly in response, "it seems Morganna was correct after all."

"What," the old witch asked, shocked by what she'd just heard. "Morganna, a traitor?" She looked behind her, to the old portrait on the mantle. "No, it can't be!" She then turned back and looked indignantly at her accuser. "She is a witch like us, she would never turn on her own!"

"Master," the newcomer asked with a confused expression, and the old witch wasn't surprised she didn't know their missing sister in the mystic arts.

"Are you so sure, my dear," the sinister figure asked in a challenging voice, "perhaps you didn't know her as well as you believed. Hmph, so much for the unshakable bond between witches."

"Liar!" Oyakata all but roared. "How dare you speak such filth about her, demon! You shall not be forgiven for your insolence!"

The bald man threw his head back and laughed defiantly in response. "And is that supposed to concern me? You seem to forget yourself, this is the end," he went on, as he brought his right hand up near his ear, "for both of you." He lashed out to the side, and his blade became curved, attached to a long blackened shaft.

"Master!" the dark-haired girl cried out as she ran to the old witch's side.

"Ruby, get away from here!" the elder witch spoke urgently, as she saw their enemy had produced his true weapon, and viciously swung it about. "He... he is death itself!"

The nefarious being stopped swinging his scythe, and brandished it in both hands, as it glowed with a malevolent aura. "It's just as I told you three centuries back, no matter how long it took_ I would find you,_" he began, as a second voice, one lacking anything remotely human, intermixed with his own. "**All who oppose Count Dracula will die! **_**And now you shall learn,**_" he went on in a voice that was beyond inhuman, "_**no one escapes from me!**_"

* * *

Ruby shivered as she felt her enemy's true prowess. The revelation of his true identity terrified her like little else, and quickly knew he would've easily back up his claims, especially since he crushed Ruby and the other girls back at the academy. Without another word, she got behind her master, wrapped her arms around her waist and quickly flew from the living room.

In a few seconds she'd made it out of the ranch house Once she did, she saw the house was surrounded by the monstrous plants she and Oyakata had grown together, in two worlds no less. It didn't take her long to realize they'd come in response to Colton's presence in the ranch. "Go, my servants!" she commanded to the inhuman horde before her, and pointed towards their domicile. "Crush the intruder!"

Ruby flew up, which proved to be difficult since she was carrying Oyakata, and knew she lacked Kurumu's superhuman strength, which she sorely wished she possessed at the moment. She watched as the hybrid plants descended upon the ranch house, all hungering for blood. Suddenly, a swelling youki was felt within the house, and a huge pillar of black demonic energy shot through the roof, and easily blasted it off. Moreover, the walls exploded outwards, as an enormous wave of black smoke shot forth in all directions. The creatures in its midst cried out in momentary agony, and then their bodies disintegrated into ash and were blown to the winds. The dark-haired woman looked on in horror, as she saw everything within two hundred feet of the ranch house had been extinguished, replaced by a huge expanse of death. "Such horrible power," she commented, as she tried to stop shaking, lest she would've dropped the elder witch, "is this truly the power of the Shinigami?"

The air grew cold around the demolished ranch house, as black cloud appeared high overhead. A split second later, a soul-chilling laugh echoed from the ruins. Ruby looked forth, and watched as a twisted specter emerged from the wreckage, clad in a tattered long coat, and wielding a huge blackened scythe in its sickly hands. Its skull-like visage wore a sinister grin on its bony features, and two small red lights peered at them from its otherwise empty sockets. The younger witch cringed as its ominous gaze fell upon her, as she felt him peering into her very soul.

"Ruby," Oyakata spoke desperately, "leave me! You're no match for him!"

"But you'll die!" the younger witch protested, even though she felt her muscles screaming in pain. "I don't want to lose you again, Master!"

The elderly spellcaster gasped audibly, and her tired violet eyes went wide. "Ruby," she spoke in a quivering voice, as tears welled up in her eyes, "did you, come here to save me?"

The dark-haired woman gasped in shock, taken aback by her old caretaker's inquiry.

"Ruby, I'm so sorry. I never meant to cause you such pain, so please, let me go. I," the elderly woman continued with a tearful look, "don't want to lose you again, either."

"Master," the younger witch spoke sadly, as tears welled up in her wine-colored eyes.

Suddenly, a malevolent presence reached their senses. Both witches looked forth, and saw a swirling black nebula ahead of them. Within it appeared the transformed Colton, his deadly scythe in his grasp. "_**Such touching sentiments,**_" he began in his sepulchral voice. "_**Futile, but touching nonetheless. It's only appropriate that you leave this mortal coil, together.**_" A vile gale of maniacal laughter escaped his unholy form, as he raised his scythe overhead.

"Ruby, leave me!" Oyakata said sharply as she squirmed in her pupil's waning grasp. "Find Morganna, and find out... why."

"Master!" Ruby called out as she lost her grip on her mentor, and felt something pushed into her chest. She looked down, and watched as the old witch plummeted towards the ground, which was covered in monstrous plants. And then she noticed that instead of helplessly flailing about, her old caretaker and placed her gnarled right hand upon her tome. The dark-haired girl felt her youki rising, and quickly deduced what the falling witch had planned. "_**MASTER, NO!**_" she cried out with a horrified look.

"_**VOUMAGAHSHIN!**_"

The young witch was forced back by the pillar of youki that was released. She looked on in sheer terror as the vegetative beasts leaped high into the air and seemed to engulf the falling witch. After that, their bodies began to fuse into a giant mass, which grew larger by the moment. Several heads were formed, each with a fanged maw, and six limbs show forth and supported the colossal beast. A countless number of eyes covered the entire surface of the twisted amalgamation.

Once the transformation was complete, the recently spawned nightmare towered well over a hundred feet into the air, and each of its maws emitted a blood-curdling scream of hate, rage, and a twinge of sorrow and regret. Ruby felt herself pushed back from the force of the old witch's declaration of rage, mortified from both Oyakata's use of the forbidden spell Voumagahshin, and the prospect of watching her die yet again. Even with the gargantuan aura she felt from her transformed master, it was as nothing compared to that of the literal embodiment of death itself, who'd come for both of their souls.

The dark-haired woman hovered in midair, horrified by the sight before her. "Master," she spoke in a broken voice.

"**Ruby,**" the monstrosity spoke in a distorted yet grave voice which echoed deep into the young witch's soul, "**my time is over, but yours must not end here. Go, now! And remember, regardless of what ****has happened between us, I'll always love you.**"

Ruby cried for several moments, her tears streaming down her cheeks. Even though she knew Oyakata would've fought to protect her with all her magical prowess, she feared she also knew what the outcome would've been. With a fierce cry of sadness, she turned and flew away from the imminent tragedy, her sorrow echoing in all directions above the ravaged fields.

* * *

Ruby streaked to the very edge of the sunflower fields, and landed to catch her breath. Yet even from her distance, she felt the release of powerful magics, and heard the explosions from where Oyakata and Colton battled one another, coupled with the booming of unnatural thunder. She simply fell to her knees, and covered her weeping face with her slender hands, aghast at the potential fate of her old caretaker. "Master," she spoke in a near whisper.

Suddenly, the release of powerful magic reached her senses. She looked beside her, and saw an enormous fireball headed her way. She barely had the chance to leap away before it collided with her former position and incinerated everything in her former position, resulting in a huge pillar of fire. Ruby's breathing came in rapid spurts, as she sensed an incredibly powerful magical presence nearby. She looked down at her left wrist, and saw her bracelet glowing brightly. She then looked ahead, and saw a strange woman ten feet from her, clad in an almost regal black dress, bound at the waist by a dark violet sash. In her right hand was a golden scepter with a spherical head, and a cross forged onto the tip. Around her neck was a silver cross necklace. Her long golden tresses, which reached to her shoulder blades, flowed by the power of the immense magical aura around her. What Ruby found the most frightening, though, was the look of cold hatred in her woman's icy blue eyes, and the scowl formed by her ruby lips. The dark-haired woman looked to her, then to her bracelet, and finally made the connection. "Belnades!"

"Foul being of darkness," the newcomer proclaimed in a judgmental voice, "you and your unholy beasts shall be exterminated, and this land shall be purified of your evil! There is no place in God's world for your wretched kind, and the time of your destruction is at hand!"

"Is this how you address a fellow witch," the dark-haired woman shot back, incensed by the accusations made by her adversary. "We've lived on this land for generations, what gives you the right to take that away?"

"You forget yourself, pagan," the hostile newcomer shot back. "I am not a witch, I am a sorceress, a holy warrior of god who's come to rid this land of your evil! Black-hearted scoundrel who devours innocent life," she went on as she brandished her scepter at her, "**BEHOLD YOUR EXECUTIONER!**" Thunder rained down from above, which made her announcement even more dramatic.

Ruby grit her teeth together, and tightened the grip on her staff. She was enraged by the closed-minded intolerance expressed by her enemy, the same kind of sentiments that justified the murder of many of her kind. It disgusted the young witch to see her opponent embraced such a destructive mindset.

But before she could've attacked, a large group of plant monsters leaped from beneath the flowerbeds and targeted the hostile woman. The witch counted well over eighty in number, and was amazed that some of the beasts actually survived. She looked on, and saw her enemy had her arms crossed before her, and concentrated her magic. A slew of large frozen shards appeared around her body, aimed at the oncoming plant horde. "_**FREEZE SOLID!**_" she shouted as she thrust her arms out to the sides. No sooner than she did that her icicles shot forth and instantly skewered the rushing plant monsters. Ruby tried to evade, but one of the large shards sliced into her arm and she fell to the ground.

The stricken woman grimaced in pain as she clutched her left arm. She could've felt it was a deep gash, though she was glad she hadn't been struck directly. As she tried to collect her thoughts, she felt her enemy's power being charged yet again. She looked ahead, and saw the black-clad woman had targeted her fallen adversaries, and reared back with both hands. "_**BLAZE OF JUDGMENT!**_" She thrust forth and unleashed an enormous flaming wave that incinerated both the remains of the plant monsters as well as everything a hundred feet beyond them, leaving a huge scorched scar in the earth.

"_**NOOOOOOOO!**_" Ruby cried out, shocked to have witnessed so much natural beauty destroyed in a flash. Ignoring the loss of blood, she glared hatefully at the blonde woman, livid at what she'd wrought. "How **dare** you, Belnades!" she declared angrily. "How dare you desecrate the very land we live upon!" She raised her staff aloft, and channeled her seething rage into it. "Be cleansed of your sins, infidel! _**MAGICAL SURROUNDING SEAL!**_" A huge lightning bolt shot from her staff and crashed down onto her enemy.

The dark-haired woman shielded her face from the brightness of her attack. When she finally looked ahead, she saw her enemy had stood tall before, and seemingly no worse for wear. "_Impossible!_" she thought to herself. "_Don't tell me that had no effect on her!_"

"Insipid wench," the blonde sorceress spoke with a twisted scowl, "who are you to be calling _me_ an infidel! I have fought all my life for the glory of God, you and the rest of your foul horde have sought nothing but death and destruction, and defile everything you touch! Now witness the true power of retribution, and remember the pain you'll feel as you're cast down into the very Hell from which you were spawned!" She raised her own staff aloft, which glowed brightly with her magic aura. "_**SEXTA FULGUR!**_" An enormous lightning bolt came crashing down on Ruby, which drove her down to her knees. Another bolt struck, and she found herself face down on the burned ground. Four more came down, each intensifying the searing agony she felt as her insides were shocked beyond her ability to endure.

The young woman groaned in pain, barely alive after the insanely powerful assault. Even though she fashioned herself as a masochist, her enemy had struck true with every attack, which surpassed even her ability to withstand. She barely managed to open her eyes, and saw her opponent had stood over her, an imperious look of judgment in her cold eyes. "_So much... power,_" she thought to herself, "_so much... hate. Not even the Master-_" She cringed in horror, as she realized that even if Oyakata had fended Colton off, she would've been Belnades' next target. "_Master, I've failed._"

"Now do you understand," the blond woman began, no remorse in her cold voice, "your evil power is no match for mine. You and the rest of your foul kind are nothing but insects before me, worthless trash meant to be burned and discarded. God has decreed that you all be exterminated for your sins against this world, and I delight in enacting His divine justice upon you cowardly worms who hide from the light of truth. Accept your fate, weakling, you have no other."

Ruby spat upon the ground, incensed by the arrogance of her opponent. "Don't talk to me about divine justice," she began bitterly. "There's nothing just about what you've done here, Belnades. Your piety is but an illusion, meant to conceal the flames of hatred that burn in your heart." She strained to lift her head off the ground as she glared at her enemy. "Calling us trash and insects, looking down on those different from yourself, boasting about your supposed superiority." She grit her teeth together as she strove to ignore the sudden flash of pain. "You're no defender of justice, you act more like, a vampire."

The hateful sorceress brutally slammed her scepter down onto Ruby's head, which drove her face into the ground again. "Miserable wench how _**DARE**_ you call me a vampire!" she exploded, as a blazing white aura surrounded her form. "Just for that I'm going to destroy every cell in your body and reduce you to nothing!"

Ruby gasped weakly, aghast that her enemy could've possibly generated even more power. She surmised Belnades could've possibly fought evenly with Colton in his true form, and that terrified her. It was then that she felt another essence within Belnades, one that seethed with a vengeance that dwarfed her own. The dark-haired woman shivered where she laid, as she realized her opponent's actions might not have been entirely her own.

As Ruby looked on, she saw a slew of fireballs swirling around her opponent, along with large icicles and electrical spheres. "_Oh no,_" the gravely wounded witch thought to herself, as she struggled to back away, "_not _this_ attack!_"

"_**DIE YOU UNHOLY BITCH!**_" the sorceress declared as she thrust her staff into the air. "_**TRI-STORM TERROR!**_" The multiple magical energies finally dispersed and flew straight towards Ruby, who closed her eyes as she awaited her inevitable death.

Several moments passed, which stretched to almost a minute, and her end hadn't come. She slowly opened her eyes, and noticed the fireballs, icicles, and lightning orbs had stopped barely a foot from her. She looked ahead, and saw Belnades with her staff still aloft, and seemed oblivious to what had just occurred. Ruby looked about, and realized she couldn't feel any sort of temperature, neither hot nor cold. The air had also become very still, which baffled her above everything else. "What... just... happened here?"

"Whew! That was a close one!" a spunky female voice remarked from nearby. "You really gave me a scare there, Ruby-san, I almost didn't make it in time."

The dark-haired woman struggled to rise from the ground, though her severely wounded body groaned in protest, and she barely managed to catch herself with her elbow before she fully collapsed again. She looked around, and saw a mysterious figure to her left, who hovered in a sitting position. Though her actual features were concealed under her hooded cloak, her bare legs all but defined the figure as female, that and the short dress she wore. Her rather sensuous limbs were crossed, with her gloved hands wrapped around her right knee. Ruby quickly shook her head as she realized how long she stared at the newcomer's legs, which earned her a cheery laugh in response.

"You surprise me," the stranger responded, "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing!"

"B-b-be quiet!" the fallen witch retorted with flushed cheeks. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I don't know, who do you think I am?"

Ruby groaned in chagrin, as she could've barely made out a rather impish smile on the woman's concealed face.

"But, we're getting sidetracked here, don't mind me." The strange woman chuckled to herself, as she covered her mouth with her slender fingers. "Now what were you thinking fighting the most powerful sorceress on the planet? Did you really think you could've beaten her?"

The dark-haired witch weakly shook her head, ashamed at her weakness. "That's not it. I wanted, to protect the Master. She, would've killed her."

"Ruby-san," the newcomer spoke in a mild chiding tone, "she would've killed you first. Then who would've protected the Master? Imagine how she'd feel if you got yourself killed after she tried to save you from Colton."

The wounded border being gasped aloud, startled by the revelation. "How do you know that?"

"It's my business to know." She hopped off her perch, then floated to the ground. She knelt down before the fallen witch and lightly held her shoulders. "Ruby-san," she spoke gravely, "I know what you tried to do here, but regardless of how noble your intentions are, the past cannot be altered. Oyakata-san herself knew that, so she chose to sacrifice herself for you, you shouldn't let it be in vain."

The dark-haired woman groaned wearily, as she could've seen the logic in her inquirer's argument. "I know, it's just-"

The mysterious figure silently shushed her and helped her up to her knees. "I know, Ruby-san," she began, as she tightly held the witch against her chest, "but this isn't the time to fight. Besides, didn't Oyakata-san give you a job to do?"

Ruby looked to her, confused by what she meant. Then she recalled the object she'd pushed into her chest just before her transformation. She held it up to her eyes, and saw it was an old picture, one she hadn't recalled being at their house. It showed herself, her old caretaker, and a third woman with slightly curly blonde hair. "_Find her,_" the old witch's words replayed in her mind, "_find Morganna. And find out... why._"

The dark-haired woman tightly hugged the memento against her bosom, for it seemed to be the last memory she had of her mentor. "Master," she spoke tearfully.

"That's better," the stranger interjected, a knowing smile on her face. "Now come on, Tsukune-san needs you."

The witch's breath caught in her throat at the mention of her missing friend's name. "Tsukune-san, you- you know where he is."

"Yep, and so will you. So come on, there'll be another time to deal with Psycho-san over there," she remarked dryly as she jerked her thumb at Belnades.

Ruby gave her bewildered look, shocked that she could've been so dismissive of the sorceress before them. She then nodded in agreement. "Alright, please, show me the way to Tsukune-san."

"Righty-o!" the unusual woman replied, her right thumb pointed towards the air. She helped the fallen witch to her feet, and looked towards their frozen nemesis. "Farewell, Psycho-san, let's not meet again." And with that, she and Ruby blinked out of existence. No sooner than they did that time moved forward once more, and the delayed attack shot forth with a vengeance, which resulted in a colossal explosion of magical energy that decimated everything within a twenty foot radius.

* * *

Marissa Belnades looked at the explosion created by her furious assault. She was certain the evil witch had been completely eradicated, as she'd expected. The nefarious being definitely matched the description she was given earlier by those two sightseers who encountered the evildoer earlier in the day. Though it displeased her to have destroyed the landscape before her, she felt it a better fate than allowing it to be used for evil. Once she was done, she swore it would've never been a haven for evil again.

She looked further up the path, and felt titanic magical energies in the distance, and one of them felt disturbingly like Death. She hissed through her clenched teeth, incensed at what she'd sensed. "'No longer needed,' huh," she asked no one in her vicinity. "You fool." She scowled darkly, as she recalled what occurred at the end of the Demon Castle Wars. "No matter, I'm sure Morganna's here as well. And this time, she won't escape." She made her way through the empty fields, headed towards the source of the disturbance.

* * *

YOUCH! That was a close one! Who was that girl who saved Ruby? Will she able to save Tsukune? And how will the group fare should they encounter the legendary witch Belnades?

"I am not a witch, I am a sorceress! I'm nothing like those pagans I just destroyed in this chapter!"

Sheesh, everyone's concerned about political correctness. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter XV The Path Is Set


	21. Part II Chapter XV

A/N Hello everyone, hope you're all doing well for yourselves. Before we begin the chapter, the OC in the first scene is not mine, he's used with permission by Francisco Devilman Warrior, that was very courteous of him to donate him.

"Is he another Red Shirt?"

No.

"Another Spotlight Stealer?"

"A Gary Stu?"

Not if I can help it.

And thanks also goes to p17oyDONju9n for help with Japanese, be sure to read his new story What? My fiancee is a Vampire? It's a riot.

"_And you get think think lustfully of the characters. We know how you think, Author, don't try to fool anyone here._"

Sigh, everyone's a critic. Anyway, before we begin, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevnia, they are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. So, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter XV  
The Path Is Set

Situated within the western part of Tokyo, in one of the less affluent parts of the sprawling city, a lone man slept soundly in this third-story apartment, exhausted after a long night's work. The sounds of the city outside were muffled by his closed window, yet they did nothing to disturb his rest, which was sorely needed.

Suddenly, a crackling sound came from outside, which resembled sparkling electricity. It annoyed the man somewhat but not enough to awaken him. The crackling was followed by a loud crash, which instantly awakened him from his slumber. He immediately jumped out of bed, and looked about the area. He then turned to the window, opened it and looked outside. Once he did he saw what appeared to be two female bodies, lying atop the collapsed roof of a parked car with the complex lot. "What the hecht," he asked aloud, bewildered about how it had actually.

The awakened figure quickly threw on a tank top, that clung tightly to his powerful physique, honed through years of diligent training. He also threw on a rugged pair of blue jeans, along with an old pair of gray sneakers, and the keys to the complex. He then ran out of the room and headed for the door.

After a few moments he made his way outside, then headed around the building to the complex parking lot. He looked about and saw no one else nearby, though he knew the crash would've undoubtedly attracted attention, especially from the other tenants who were still home. He quickly made his way to the crash scene, and saw two motionless teenage girls atop the remains of an old Toyota Corolla. "Oh shoot," the man remarked, "the landlord." He took a closer look and saw one of the girls had somewhat unruly purple hair, very pale skin, and a strange circlet on her brow. The end of what appeared to be a lollipop, miraculously still placed inside her mouth after the crash, was visible. She was clad in a white hoodie with blue sleeves, with a black tank top underneath. She also wore a disturbingly short yellow checkerboard skirt, which looked somewhat familiar to him, along with lavender and purple striped stockings. He looked to the other girl, and saw she had cyan hair, partially done up in a barrette. Her complexion was rosier than her unconscious associate, and her face had a heart shape to it. She wore a common white blouse, with a string tie around her neck. The girl was fortunately breathing, as denoted by the rise and fall of her large chest. The man quickly shook off any carnal thoughts he might've had, and looked elsewhere. He saw she wore a similar skirt to her associate, baggy white socks and black shoes. He quickly looked back to her torso, and saw what appeared to be a strange brooch on her chest, which resembled a rose that hadn't yet bloomed.

"What the hecht was that," a man's voice called out from what above.

"Oh my word," a woman's voice exclaimed, "are they even alive?"

"Cruz-san," a third voice chimed in, "what the hecht happened down there?"

The man looked up, and saw several of the tenants looking out the window towards the chaotic scene. "Don't worry," he replied aloud to his neighbors, "I'll handle this."

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance," a housewife asked, her hair done up in curlers.

"Nah, I'll be fine," he replied as he waved at the people upstairs. He saw most of them seemed quite dubious, yet they pulled their heads back inside regardless.

Alone again, he quickly turned back to the girls, and gently began moving them off the car. He winced a bit as he felt the purple-haired girl's body felt inordinately cold. He quickly shook it off and placed her over his shoulder. He did the same to the other girl, and slowly made his way back towards the complex. He knew going around to the front would've quickly gotten attention, especially since ti seemed to be midday. He looked to the fire escape, and though he realized it would've been quite an arduous task, especially since he would've had to carry two bodies up to the third floor, he saw little recourse in the matter.

He carefully made his way up, and tried not to bump their heads on anything. Fortunately the fire escape was in great working condition, and he was thankful the landlord had taken such pains to ensure the tenants' escape route was secure. After a few minutes, though it seemed like an eternity to him, he climbed up to the third floor. He placed the pair on their shapely behinds, then paused to get the thought out of his mind. He then turned to the window, and grimaced as he found it was locked on the other side. With a heavy sigh, he looked down to the unconscious pair. "Don't go anywhere," he said to them, shook his head of somewhat unruly dark hair, then quickly headed back down.

The man quickly made his around to the front, got his keys and opened the front door of the complex. He then made his way up to the third floor, and went back inside his apartment. He quickly headed to the back window where the fire escape laid outside, unlocked the window and opened it. He then climbed through the window, picked up the unconscious girls and brought them inside.

He laid the purple-haired girl on the couch in his living room, and the cyan-haired girl on his bed. A soft groan came from her as she was placed on the reasonably soft mattress. "Tsukune," she spoke in a barely audible whisper.

The man looked to her for a moment, then to her compatriot in the living room. After looking between them a few times, he scowled to himself and folded his arms under his chest. "Why do I get the feeling I've seen these two somewhere before?" He groaned to himself, as he instinctively knew he wouldn't have liked the answer. "Ah, no matter. Better get 'em out of here before-"

"_**CRUZ!**_" an angry and elderly male voice shouted from the other side of his front door.

A weary sigh came from the man. "Too late."

* * *

Yukari groaned wearily as she finally began to regain consciousness. She blinked her violet eyes a couple of times before they finally stayed open.

"[Ah, you're finally awake, my child,]" a strange voice spoke from nearby.

With a sharp inhale, she sat up and quickly took in her surroundings. She found herself in a very dark room, lit only by a candle which laid by the nightstand. By her bedside was an unfamiliar old man, with neatly groomed silvery white hair and matching beard. He wore a kind expression on his clearly foreign features, and his attire identified him as a member of the Catholic Church, which gave her a good idea about her location. "Where am I," she asked hesitantly.

"Um, konnichiwa," the stranger began in heavily accented Japanese, "watashi wa Păcuraru Nandru." He hummed uncertainly to himself. "[Was that right? Forgive me, I've... little experience in speaking Japanese.]"

"Close enough!" the small girl replied happily. "Watashi wa Sendo Yukari-chan," she continued, as she motioned to herself. "Um, where am I?"

The elderly man wore a puzzled look, like he wasn't sure about how to have responded. "[This is Wygol Village,]" he replied in his own language. He quickly noted the puzzled look on Yukari's face before he continued. "[Deep within Wallachia, a province of Romania.]"

The small witch gasped in shock, and her violet eyes went wide. "[I'm in Romania,]" she asked with a terrified look.

Nandru nodded quickly in response, surprised by her response.

The brunette tried hard not to tremble at what she'd just heard, as she knew the implications. "Oh no, I'm practically on Dracula's doorstep! But where are the others," she fearfully asked the old priest. "Moka-san, Kurumu-san, Mizore-san, Ruby-san, Michiru-san?"

"[I'm sorry,]" the aged man replied with a shake of his gray head, "[but the only one we found was you,]" he explained, as he repeatedly pointed towards her.

Yukari blinked a couple of times, and quickly deduced what he meant by his actions. "Me, just me? Oh no, this is terrible, desu! They could be anywhere, anytime!" Feelings of despair welled up in her teenage heart, and she wailed aloud, appalled at her predicament.

"[It's alright, child,]" the elder spoke soothingly as he gently held the grieving girl. "[We'll find them, somehow.]"

Yukari continued to weep, mortified that their quest could've gone so dreadfully awry before they'd found Tsukune. And though she couldn't have understood the old priest's words, his embrace made her feel more at ease. Though she knew it would've been difficult to have overcome the language barrier, she silently vowed to do it in order to find her missing friends.

Suddenly, her violet eyes went wide, as a supremely powerful and dark presence reached her senses, one she'd felt before. "This aura, it's him!"

"[What is it, my child,]" Nandru asked with a concerned look.

"Păcuraru-san, Dracula is here!" the witch exclaimed fearfully. "He must be looking for us, desu!"

"[Dracula,]" the old priest asked with an unconvinced look, "[that's absurd! This is a house of God, Dracula cannot possibly enter!]"

"But it's him!" Yukari insisted. "I'd recognize that evil aura anywhere! Don't you see, we're all in danger, desu!"

As the man of the cloth looked to her in confusion, the bedroom door swung open, and a stranger in his forties quickly entered the room, a burning oil lamp in his right hand. "[Elder!]" he spoke frantically.

The old man quickly turned to him. "[What is it, Costin?]"

"[Elder,]" the man continued with an intimidated look, "[Lord Alucard has just arrived!]"

"[Ah!]" the priest replied joyfully. "[I see now! That must be who young Sendo-san sensed a few moments ago!]"

The newcomer gave him a baffled look. "[She actually sensed his presence, from this far away?]"

"[Indeed, she is definitely one of the Five Maidens mentioned in the prophecy. Lord Alucard couldn't have come at a better time.]"

Yukari looked between the pair, incredulous that they could've actually been relieved during such a situation. "What is wrong with you people," she asked in exasperation. "Don't you realize who that is," she continued as she pointed in the direction of the demonic aura. "That's Dracula, the King of Vampires! He'll destroy everything in his path in order to find me, desu!"

"[No, my child,]" Nandru retorted, "[you're mistaken! He is not an enemy, he is an ally, one of the three who slew Dracula ten years back. You have nothing to fear from him.]"

The small witch groaned in aggravation, looked about and quickly found her wand on the nightstand. She procured it, threw the blankets off herself, practically leaped out of the bed and ran through the open door.

"[Wait, come back, young Sendo-san!]" the elder called out, but his words went unheeded.

The child prodigy raced through the hallway, the only light coming from one of her tarot cards. She felt the aura came from the stairwell up head, and she quickly descended it. She turned right, saw a doorway at the end of the hall, and passed through it.

Yukari came out into what appeared to be the church's assembly hall, lined on both sides by several pews. She tightly clutched her wand, as she sensed the aura's owner was inside the hall. She quickly looked about, and saw a tall stranger in the middle of the hall, clad in a floor-length black cloak. Though he wasn't quite as towering as she'd expected, there was no doubt the aura she'd sensed earlier belonged to him.

The young witch mustered her courage, and stepped into the middle of the hallway to confront the dark stranger. "You," she began, trying to sound brave despite the fear in her heart, "I don't know how you found me, but I won't let you take me as you did Tsukune-san!"

The stranger hummed in confusion, and raised one eyebrow in response.

"In the name of the great Sendo family," Yukari declared, "I shall banish you from this world, Demon King!" She thrust her wand into the air. "Bronze pots, come forth! Smite the lord of all evil!" Over two dozen washbasins appeared above the witch, and then smashed down repeatedly onto their target, who seemed more baffled than injured. "I'll never forgive you for what you've done to my friends!" the small witch declared, as she held her wand aloft. "_**LYRICAL MAGICAL HAPPY HEART!**_" A slew of iron tarots then shot forth and rained down upon her enemy, damaging not only him but the pews on both sides. She quickly looked around for more possible weapons, and found several tomes in the front aisle. "Don't think you're getting off easy, you big bully! I'm throwing the book at you!" She levitated all the holy tomes with her magic, and hurled them consecutively at the flustered man before. "I'll throw everything I've got to defeat you, including the kitchen sink!" She materialized a huge sink above her opponent, which crashed down onto his cranium and shattered. The man staggered back a step, then seemed to disappear in a cloud of mist.

"Hmm," Yukari asked, as she cautiously went into the hall, "where'd he go?"

She took four more steps forward, then cringed as she felt a titanic demonic aura behind her, which dwarfed what she'd sensed at the academy and drove her down to her knees. She cried out in pain, as the oppressive force felt like it was crushing her entire being.

"_**WHAT**_ do you think you're doing," an aggravated voice demanded from behind.

Yukari groaned in response, as she struggled to resist the nigh incomprehensible power of her enemy. "You won't break me, Dracula! I'll **never** bend to your will, desu!"

The aura relented for a moment, then she felt herself picked up off the floor, and spun around to have faced her opponent. "Do I **look **like Dracula to you," he asked with an insulted expression.

"Hmph, don't think you're fooling anyone with those bishounen looks, you're _still_ the lord of evil and darkness and hate, desu! Now where's Tsukune-san?"

The cloaked man growled in aggravation, as his eyes glowed red.

"[Um, Lord Alucard,]" the elder's voice asked cautiously from the doorway, "[what is going on here?]"

The vampire quickly placed his captive on the floor and turned to the newcomer. "**[Who** is this,]" he demanded with a vexed look as he pointed to the small girl.

The aged man peered towards him, and the child prodigy beside him. "[Ah, I see you've, met young Sendo-san.]"

Costin soon passed through the doorway, and shone his light upon the assembly hall. He gasped as he saw the damaged pews and scattered tomes. "[My word, what has happened here?]"

Nandru's eyes went wide as he surveyed the damage. He then recalled what happened a few minutes ago, and then gazed reproachfully at the small girl as he approached her. "[Sendo-san! Is this your doing?]"

Yukari groaned in chagrin as she backed away, a guilty expression on her young face. Though she didn't understand his words, she understood his expression only too well.

"[Sendo-san, I'm disappointed in you,]" the old priest continued as he walked towards the ashamed girl. "[Look at all the damage you've wrought! Don't you realize this is a house of God? How do you think He will view your actions here? Now apologize to Lord Alucard at once, it's the least you can do.]"

"But, I didn't mean to cause this much damage," the brunette replied defensively as she looked towards him, "I was only trying to stop Dracula!" she explained as she pointed at the cloaked figure.

"Who are you calling Dracula!" the tall man demanded as he glared down at her.

"You!" Yukari shot back as she stood on her tiptoes and returned his glare.

Costin blinked in incomprehension as he looked in between the two hostile individuals. "[Wait a minute, she felt his aura and thought he was Dracula?]" His mouth dropped open as a startled look crossed his features. "[How would she even know what Dracula's aura feels like, he's been dead for ten years, she'd have been scarcely more than a toddler then. There's no way she could've encountered him before then.]" A disturbing thought came to his mind, and he looked to the blonde man. "[He is still dead, isn't he my Lord? Please tell me he's still dead, please tell me Lord Belmont didn't die for nothing!]"

"_**[NOT ANOTHER WORD!]**_" the cloaked figure screamed at the top of his lungs as he pointed towards the suddenly frightened watchman. The tall man sent a scathing glare towards him, and Yukari could've envisioned a literal inferno of emotions behind his formerly stoic gaze. Though she admittedly wasn't as knowledgeable of people's feelings as Kurumu, she could tell the night watchman had hit a nerve, and a very painful one at that. She waited for over a minute, as she feared the blonde man could've lashed out at any of them at that juncture. His cloaked form slowly stopped trembling, and he wore a more composed expression on his pale face. "[Where's Marissa,]" he finally asked.

"[She's not here anymore, my Lord,]" the younger man replied with a rueful shake of his head, "[she left the village after the great battle and never returned.]"

"[What,]" the blonde man asked an incensed look. "[What does she think she's doing? I told her to stay here and not interfere with the world any longer. And now I find out she's defied me?]"

"[With all due respect, my Lord,]" the priest interjected, "[what were you expecting? She'd lost most of her family, and then Lord Belmont himself perished. Did you really think she'd live out the rest of her life, constantly being reminded of everything she'd lost?]"

"[She would've been reunited with them once she passed on,]" the cloaked figure countered, "[she should've been content with that. And besides, the war is over, mankind no longer has to fear the night. It was our duty to disappear from the world, so it could move beyond _him.]_" he concluded with a rather sour look.

Nandru sighed gravely as he regarded the blonde man. "[You really don't understand a woman's heart, do you my Lord?]"

"[She'll get over it, she must. She is a Belnades, eternally bound to fight against evil. Refusing her calling is not an option.]"

"[Nay, my Lord, this battle is not hers. The war has not ended, and the time for the Five Maidens of Destiny has come.]"

The cloaked figure gave him a withering look. "[What?]"

"[Yea, for it was foretold, that the great prophet would be silenced, and his words stolen away. And one day the Devil's image shalt appear in the house of God, and that will signify the coming of the Five Maidens, who shall go forth to the Old House of Darkness, where those who desire the resurrection shall gather.]"

"[Five Maidens,]" the blonde man asked with a suspicious look, "[what sort of nonsense is this?]"

"[Tis not nonsense, my Lord, tis a closely guarded secret within the Church, only a select few knew of its existence, lest the Dark Lord attempt to undermine it, and thus throw the whole world into chaos. Alucard, you are the Guardian of the prophecy, whose is destined to guide these five young girls to their destiny. Young Sendo-san is but one of them,]" he continued as he gestured to the small girl, "[you must find the rest, before the servants of darkness spirit them towards destruction.]"

"[Hold on, Nandru!]" the cloaked being interrupted. "[Did Julius put you up to this? This sounds like one of those silly books he got in Japan, I thought you knew better than to believe anything _he_ said.]"

"[Nay, my Lord, twas not young Belmont, the prophecy came through his ancient ancestor, Simon Belmont, which he relayed to the Church before the birth of his only child.]"

The vampire's face suddenly became flush with rage at what he'd just heard. "_**[WHY WASN'T I TOLD OF THIS!**__**]**_" he all but exploded, which terrified everyone in the hall. "[If _anyone_ should be entrusted with a Belmont prophecy it should be **me!** Did Simon Belmont really think I couldn't be trusted?]"

"[Please try to understand, my Lord, Saint Germain warned the Church to protect the prophecy and not to implement it until the appropriate time, lest a temporal paradox occur and rip the world asunder.]"

The cloaked being scowled at the priest, and placed his hands on his hips. "[So in other words, I just wasted two hundred years of my life putting together a plan to destroy Dracula completely that was _destined_ to fail! And _now_ you people tell me of this obscure prophecy that _I_ couldn't be trusted with and you expect me to meekly follow its instructions?]"

"[But my Lord-]" the holy man interjected, desperately trying to appease the incensed figure before him.

"[Forget it, I'm not gonna be made a fool of anymore! If you want to babysit a bunch of children, be my guest. But leave _me_ out of it!]" He then spun on his heel and stormed towards the exit of the church. He then swung the double doors open and made his way outside, and they slammed shut behind him with an undeniable finality.

Yukari cringed as the cloaked being left the church, and found her anxiety hadn't waned with his departure. Her nigh nonexistent knowledge of Romanian made the situation even more confusing. "What was that about," she asked the old priest, who gave her a grave look.

"[I'm sorry you had to see that, child. This battle, has been very personal for Lord Alucard. He's made countless sacrifices in order to overcome his cursed sire. He must now feel his whole battle has been in vain.]" He shook his head as he continued to look towards the doors. "[Neither of them take well to failure, one trait they actually share.]"

"[Elder,]" Costin spoke to him, "[what do we do now?]"

The aged man sighed wearily as his shoulders stooped visibly. "[We must be patient with Lord Alucard, yet they will need his help, and soon, for the dark ones have already begun to move.]"

Yukari groaned to herself, as she felt her chances had just grown dimmer. "Tsukune-san," she spoke to herself.

* * *

Tsukune groaned wearily as he began to rouse from his unconscious stupor. His eyes slowly came open, and he habitually blinked them a few times in order to have cleared his vision. Once it had, he saw his surroundings hadn't changed. Moreover, the chains that once bound him had suddenly returned. He gasped in shock, and then remembered it had only occurred in his dream, and groaned in chagrin, aghast that he'd essentially become a prisoner again.

"It's been a long time," a soft yet serious voice spoke from nearby, "Tsukune-san."

The bound youth's head quickly came off the bed. "Who's there," he demanded, as he frantically looked about. After a moment, he saw a mysterious figure on the left side of the room, who stood beside what appeared to be a high bureau.

"Did you have good dreams," the stranger as asked as it stepped out of the shadows, which revealed a very feminine shape, clad in a form-fitting dark green dress with a rather short hem, which revealed her long shapely legs. A hooded cloak concealed her features, though he could've barely made out an impish smile under her hood.

"How do you know that!" the captive demanded with an incensed look. "Are you one of Dracula's goons?"

The young woman giggled to herself in response. "Oh, come now, Tsukune-san, do you really believe that?" She then tiled her head to the side. "As for how I know," she went on as she looked down his body, "the evidence speaks for itself."

The brown-haired youth looked down his body, and saw a familiar bulge in the front of his pants, which actually throbbed beneath the fabric. Even worse, he knew he'd released from the succubus' pleasurable actions, which ashamed him to no end.

"She's marked you, Tsukune-san," the newcomer continued in a serious voice. "Now there's nowhere on earth you can hide from her. Whenever you dream, she'll be there."

The former academy student grimaced at that. Deep down he knew Lilith wasn't on his side, not with all the nightmares she put him through. And yet, he couldn't deny he enjoyed her embrace, as well as the kiss she gave him. She even saved him from the winged woman who'd sought his life. Even then, he could feel his body longing for her once more. "What am I supposed to do," he asked bitterly, "not dream? Even if I could do that, then what? What do I do then," he demanded as he looked towards the stranger. He looked away again, as his feelings of isolation returned.

"If you give up now, Tsukune-san," the woman's voice replied, "you'll never find out. And above you, you must not give in. Lilith is not your friend, Tsukune-san, underneath that overdeveloped body lies a black heart, one that desires Moka-san's death, along with that of your other friends, _especially_ Kurumu-san."

The brown-haired youth abruptly turned his head back to her. "Who are you!" he demanded with a fierce look. "How do you know this!"

"I can't answer the first question, it's against the rules. As for the second-" She got no further as footsteps came from the other side of the door, which promptly swung open seconds later.

Standing within the currently open doorway was an aged man with long silvery white hair, pulled back in a ponytail. A wild beard covered half of his face, as his eyes were narrowed in suspicion. "[Who's there!]" he called out. Tsukune winced in chagrin, watched as he looked about the area, and sniffed a few times. The bound youth winced in response, as he realized the newcomer was searching for any unfamiliar scents. He grimaced where he laid, as the old man came up to the bed, and continued to sniff. A deep frown was barely visible on his bearded visage. "[Where is she,]" he demanded of the youth.

"Huh," Tsukune offered in response, as he couldn't have understood a word the elder said.

"[Don't play stupid with me, I _know_ someone else is here! You were speaking to her, among other things.]"

The former academy student groaned in response, as he knew exactly what the elder was talking about.

"It's alright," the strange woman whispered into Tsukune's ear, as she placed her gloved fingertips over his lips, "I'm not actually here, so he won't be able to find me. Just don't give me away, okay?"

Tsukune silently agreed, and watched as the old man looked about the bed. He even got on his knees and looked under it, sniffing all the time. He then straightened up, and came around to the strange woman's side. Tsukune looked on nervously, and his eyes went wide as the elder fazed through the cloaked being, wholly oblivious to her presence. He gave the bound youth a quizzical look, and the captive merely returned it and nothing more. The old man then searched the back of the room where the large bureau was located. He searched around the legs for a few moments, then straightened up, lifted the bureau off the floor to moved it to the side. Tsukune inhaled sharply, shocked that the supposedly aged being was capable of such a feat of strength. Once he did, he saw a window was located behind it. The old man inspected the window for a few moments, opened it and then looked outside. After a few more seconds, he closed it shut, then moved the bureau back into place, and hummed in disappointment.

The newcomer made his way towards the doorway, and stopped just before it. "[If you're thinking of escaping,]" he began, not looking over his shoulder, "[don't. It will be dawn soon, and once you pass through the barrier you'll die. Save yourself the trouble, you'll live longer that way.]" He then passed through the opening, and closed the door behind him. Clicking sounds came from the other side, which told Tsukune the door was locked.

"What was that about," the bewildered youth asked.

"See," the mysterious woman replied with a wide smile, "I told you there was nothing to worry about. Just wait a little bit, soon the whole village will be asleep, they're nocturnal creatures after all."

"But, what about Senpai," Tsukune asked in a low voice as he turned to her, "I can't just leave him here, he's my friend."

The cloaked being smiled, and ruefully shook her head. "You really think he's your Senpai? Listen to me, Tsukune-san, this is not Osaka, you're in danger here. In that sense, Lilith spoke truthfully, for a change," she remarked in a rather sarcastic tone. "But these people will kill you eventually, you should escape while you can. But, just wait until after they're all asleep, it won't be long now. Good luck, Tsukune-san," she finished, then leaned in and placed a light kiss on his cheek. After that, a golden sphere appeared around her, and she disappeared into it.

The brown-haired youth balked at that, stunned by her affectionate departure. He blinked several times, as he tried to process what had just occurred. "Who was that," he asked himself, "it was like, she knew me personally." He then considered her words, and decided to stay his hand for the time being, as he knew his opportunity would've come soon. "Hold on, Moka-san," he spoke to himself, as he concentrated deeply on her image. "I'll come for you, eventually."

* * *

Across the globe, it was just around noon at a local Japanese eatery. The store interior was rectangular in shape, with one entrance near the southwest corner, and an exit by the east side. The counter was situated but a few steps from the front entrance, with all the tables to its right. A young woman taking care of her grandfather had just received their order, and led the elder to a nearby table. There were easily a dozen patrons in the store, which wasn't surprising since it was essentially lunchtime, and everyone who worked around that time came out to eat, so there was no shortage of business for the establishment.

Suddenly, the phone rang, and one of the female workers quickly picked it up. "Hello, Tanaka House of Teriyaki," she spoke pleasantly into the receiver. Her happiness turned into shock, as she soon realized it wasn't an order being placed. "What?" The person on the other end spoke further, and the young woman looked intrigued by what she'd heard. "Is that right?" A confirmation was spoken on the other end. "Okay, I'll keep a look out," she replied with a serious look, and received a relieved response. "Thanks again, bye."

A man nearing forty with a decently wrinkled face came up to her, just as she'd hung up the phone. "What was that about," he asked curiously.

The dark-haired employee turned and saw her supervisor, as well as the owner of the establishment. "Oh, Tanaka-san," she began with a surprised look, "that was the Junior High. They said a suspicious foreign woman came asking about-" She paused and glanced away for a moment, a nervous expression on her face before she turned back to her superior. "_-that family_ who died last year."

The Japanese man raised his eyebrows in interest, and didn't ask her to elaborate. He immediately looked towards the last customers he'd just served, and grimaced for a brief moment before he turned back to his employee. "Did they give a description?"

"Apparently she wore a long gray coat, a wide-brimmed gray hat, and dark sunglasses. She also had a foreign accent, they couldn't quite place it, but they said it definitely wasn't Oriental."

"Hmm, you don't say," the supervisor mused in response.

"Tanaka-san," his employee asked in a barely audible voice, "you don't think, she's a spy or something?"

The older man gave her a quizzical look. "A spy, here? Come now, why on earth would a spy come to this little town? You've been watching too many movies." As he shook his head in disbelief, the sound of a bell ringing came from the front door, which meant another customer had entered the establishment. "Hello," he began as he turned to the person in question, "how can... I-" His words stopped in his throat, as he saw a mysterious woman headed towards the counter, dressed in the exact same attire his coworker had described earlier. He saw her complexion was quite pale when compared to the other patrons, whose chatter quickly stopped as they turned to her.

The newcomer stopped halfway to the counter, and turned towards the refrigerator that held all the soft drinks the store sold. She opened the door, reached in and grabbed a can of what appeared to be tomato juice. The woman turned back towards the counter, and the supervisor saw what appeared to be a black leather collar around her neck. Two links of chain were attached to the front, and whatever hung on the end was concealed beneath the woman's jacket. She stopped in front of the counter, and placed the can upon it. A heavy sense of tension hung over everyone in the building, and especially the supervisor who watched as the newcomer's every move. He was very alert as the stranger produced a ten yen bill from her coat pocket, and blinked as he saw her long and rather deadly-looking fingernails, which gave him even more pause. The woman coughed to get his attention, and he quickly got his mind back on track. He took the bill, and quickly gave the woman her change. "Is there, anything else," he inquired warily.

"Do you know what happened to the Aonos," she asked expectantly in a deep accented voice.

A startled gasp came from amongst the seated individuals. One table of people looked in their direction, looked towards the woman in the gray coat, then quickly got up and nervously left through the rear entrance. The supervisor tried to suppress a gasp himself, yet felt quite nervous by the undoubtedly piercing gaze behind the stranger's shades. He looked to his fellow worker, and saw her shaking slightly beside him.

"Ah, the Aonos," the young woman behind the counter finally said, "I don't recall them having any Russian friends, do you Tanaka-san?"

"Ayako," he whispered urgently out of the side of his mouth. " We're not supposed to talk about that."

"And why is this," the newcomer's voice asked.

Tanaka looked back, and was startled as he saw the woman had leaned over the counter, and clearly heard him. "Hey, not so close! What are you, an eavesdropper or something?"

"Isn't that what spies do," his employee asked.

The mature man tried hard not to respond.

"Hey, what's the rush," an aged male voice demanded amongst the customers. "We just got here and you already want to leave?"

"Oji-san, we need to go," a woman's voice replied urgently. "Come on!"

Tanaka turned his head, and saw his last customers were in the middle of leaving. Or rather, the young woman at the table was trying to convince the elderly man to have departed, but with minimal success.

"But it's my first time out of the house in... forever!" he retorted, quite perplexed and a bit exasperated. "Can't a man enjoy his meal in peace?"

"I'm sorry," she replied, as she lightly took hold of his shoulder, "but we need to go. Now!"

"Not so fast," the newcomer interjected in a measured voice, then began heading towards them. The pair froze as the mysterious woman approached them.

"H-hey!" Ayako protested. "You stay away from Yoshikuni-jii! He hasn't done anything, so don't bother him! Hey, are you listening to me?" She frowned in displeasure, miffed that she'd been ignored. She immediately came from behind the counter, walked up to the woman and grabbed her left arm. "Listen you, I'm not gonna let some nogoodnik bother our paying customers! Cause any more trouble and I'm kicking your buttski out of here. Got it, comrade?"

Tanaka gave her an incredulous look, aghast that she'd let her spy fetish get the better of her in such a situation. He noted most everyone was looking at the scene, and were just as anxious as him.

"You," the strange woman began as she slowly turned her head towards Ayako, "are being, annoying."

The Japanese woman's eyes went wide, as she released her and back up five paces. The man behind the counter gulped nervously, and knew if his underling was correct about her, she could've easily killed her at that juncture. With that in mind, his shaking hand went to the phone.

* * *

Moka watched as the young woman backed away, fear evident on her face. Though it created more of a scene than she desired, overall the end result was achieved. She sighed to herself, as she knew her counterpart might've lashed out at her for her impudence. Without another thought, she turned to the hairless old man and the young woman at the table. She then sat herself down and leveled her shaded gaze at them. "Do _you _know what happened to the Aonos," she asked expectantly.

The old man gasped and trembled in response, while the woman beside him did her best to soothe him. "Please, leave us alone," she began with an almost begging look, "we haven't hurt anyone, n-neither did they."

"And yet they're dead," the incognito vampire pointed out, and leaned across the table. "Why?"

"Y-y-you mustn't ask," the elder replied in a shaking voice, "all who inquire about them are spirited away, never to be seen again."

"I'll take my chances," Moka coolly replied. "If you know what happened, tell me."

The old Japanese man groaned fearfully, and nodded his head. "It was a horrible night," he began timidly, "there was no moon in the sky, even the stars were gone. I heard them scream, oh the screams!" he cried out, and held his head.

"Oji-san!" his granddaughter spoke worriedly.

"Let him finish," the former academy student interjected.

"It was horrible," the senior citizen went on with a terrified look, "the house was aflame, winged demons cheered at the chaos. It was like all the demons of Hell had come to feast upon them!"

There were more gasps in the dining room, as four people quickly got up and left. Moka herself gasped, as she clearly hadn't expected such a demonstrative account. She'd guessed they were murdered, but never thought they would've been exemplified so brazenly.

"It must've been that ghoul from Kaoku no Keiji!" the elder continued. "He has returned to take his measure!"

"Oji-san, stop!" his granddaughter implored. "We'll get in trouble if you say anything else!"

"Is that why the neighborhood's been abandoned," Moka asked, trying to keep her own fear under control, "everyone fled in fear of what happened to Tsukune's family?"

The elderly man inhaled sharply. "You knew them," he asked with a startled look.

"Yes, I knew them. And now that I know who did this, I'll be paying this, _ghoul,_" she continued, an unveiled threat in her voice, "a visit. Where is Kaoku no Keiji?"

"Please," the aged man replied with trembling hands, "I've said too much already. They'll come for me, and you as well! Even if you flee to that old manor on the hill, they will find you!" He gasped to himself, as he felt a strong yet soft grip on his hand. He looked down, and saw the woman's slender hand upon his own.

"I'll be fine," she spoke in a soft whisper, "and thank you." She smiled at the bewildered man, then rose from her seat and walked away.

Moka opened her can of tomato juice, and began to imbibe it as she headed for the front exit. She's just reached the counter when the sound of police sirens reached her ear. She looked out the window, and saw two squad cars had raced into the parking lot. They came to a screeching stop, and four officers quickly made their way out. She closed her eyes and continued to enjoy her drink as hurried footsteps rushed into the eatery.

"You there!" a male voice spoke authoritatively. "You drinking the tomato juice! You are under arrest for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and suspicion to commit espionage! Give yourself up and you will not be harmed!"

The former academy student finished off the rest of her drink, and exhaled in quiet elation. Though it would've never replaced Tsukune's blood, its taste was exquisite in her eyes.

"Did you hear me!" the same voice spoke up, sounding quite aggravated at being ignored. "I said you're under arrest! Give yourself up or you'll be taken by force!"

Moka opened her eyes, and saw four Japanese policemen before her, hostile looks in all their eyes. Their hands were tensed by their sides, as they awaited her next move. She tightened her lips together, as she hadn't expected or desired to have run into the authorities. She would've thought they were only doing their jobs, but the charge of espionage disturbed her, and it coincided with what the senior citizen had revealed, that whoever asked about the Aonos disappeared. It seemed there was some sort of connection, and she planned to find it, along with the haunted house he mentioned earlier.

"Really," she finally spoke, as she placed her empty can on the counter. "Let me think about that for a moment," she continued, and slid her can over the top of the can. In one fluid motion, she forced her hand downwards, and the small container instantly compacted under it.

She slowly looked back at the policemen, who all wore frightened looks on their faces. And it wasn't just them, as the sound of the rest of the patrons hurrying out the rear exit reached her sensitive ears, along with frightened screams. The air was very thick with their fear. She inhaled deeply, and found herself smiling at the aroma as she regarded them. "Still want to try and arrest me," she asked, her smile unfaltering.

The officer in the lead shivered for a moment, then his fear was replaced with an intense stare. "That's it," he declared indignantly and pointed towards the vampire, "take her down!"

"Fools," Moka remarked, as her smile faded.

The first policeman launched himself at her, as he planned to knock her to the ground with a full-body tackle. The agile young woman spun to his right, and caught his shoulder as he passed by. She held it tightly, and then flicked him in the back of the head. His cranium surged forward, and he would've went flying had Moka not held him in place. She released him, and let his unconscious body fall to the floor. She then leaned back as the second officer lunged forward with his nightstick. He quickly recovered, and followed up with a reverse swinging blow with his handheld club, which Moka leaned back to avoid yet again. She then felt her right shoulder grabbed from behind, along with her left wrist. It became apparent that the person in question planned to pin her arm behind her back. She easily broke out of the hold, though not forcefully enough to have sent him flying. She then grabbed his own shoulder, flicked him in the forehead with her free hand, and let him fall to the floor. She then looked out the corner of her eye, and saw the third officer swinging his nightstick towards her head. She ducked out of the way, and the oncoming blow swung harmlessly overhead. She turned to him, and leaned back as he attempted a reverse swing with his handheld weapon. She dodged four more blows in similar fashion, then saw him rear back for an overhead swing. Instead of dodging, she merely caught the descending weapon with her left hand. "Too slow," she remarked, and then flicked him in the forehead, which sent him flying across the dining room. He collapsed on the floor near the exit, and didn't rise again.

Suddenly, a clicking sound reached her ears, one she knew too well. She immediately spun around, streaked towards the last officer at superhuman speed, grabbed his right wrist and his throat, and slammed him against the wall. "You dare point this disgusting thing at me," she growled angrily, as she forced his gun hand out to the side.

The stricken officer half growled and half gagged, hatred in his eyes as he regarded at Moka. He cried out in pain as the grip on his wrist tightened painfully. The sounds of bones cracking became audible, and he lost his grip on his handgun, which clattered to the floor. The vampire glared menacingly at the deadly weapon on the floor, her fangs bared in anger. She then channeled her youki into her legs, raised her left foot with a rising growl and then smashed the gun into several pieces, which scattered across the floor.

The policeman gasped in horror, shocked that his weapon had been destroyed, and with brute strength alone no less. With the grip on his throat released, he quickly clutched it along with his easily bruised wrist. "You'll never get away with this, youkai," he uttered in a raspy voice filled with hate and rage. "Belnades-sama will find you, and she will _**KILL**_ you!"

Moka leaned forward and brought her face close to that of her victim. "She's welcome to try." She then leaned back, and flicked him in the forehead. She watched as the officer sprawled against the wall, then slid down onto the floor, a glazed look in his eyes. With a rueful shake of her head, the former academy student made her way out the exit, leaving the chaotic scene behind her.

* * *

Elsewhere, within Fujimi City, a single bus that belonged to Shinji Koizumi High School stopped near a lone hill, covered with sunflowers as far as the eye could've seen. Once it stopped, the homeroom teacher, Kumiko Konno, stood up and faced her charges. "Alright everyone," she began pleasantly, "we've finally arrived at our destination. Make sure you stick together at all times and let's enjoy this outdoor lunch together."

"Sensei," a student's voice called out from the middle of the bus, "are you sure it's safe to come here?"

"Of course it's safe," the older woman spoke with a reassuring look, "there's nothing to be worried about."

"But wasn't this place known as Witch's Hill, where all those people disappeared?"

"Yeah, I heard about that, too!" a second pupil interjected.

"Now now, that's just a silly rumor," the homeroom teacher spoke with a somewhat evasive and dubious smile. "You really shouldn't believe everything you hear. To be truthful though," she continued with a pensive look, "there were construction plans for this area the previous year, though the plans were scrapped when the plot was bought out by the Catholic Church, who've declared this a public land for anyone to use, within reason of course. However this excludes the area past the stone wall in the north, which has been deemed off-limits."

"Because that's where all the witches were hiding," an inquisitive youth with glasses asked.

"Now stop that!" Konno replied sharply. "No more of this superstitious nonsense! Now everyone off the bus in single file."

A certain brown-haired boy glanced downwards, as his lips tightened in response. "_It used to be a haven for evil witches,_" he thought to himself, "_but Belnades-sama exterminated them, and cleansed the land of their stench. She then stopped those greedy materialistic fools and saved this land._" He looked out towards the rows of sunflowers that stretched outside the bus window.

"Tai-chan," the girl beside him spoke up, "what are you thinking about?"

The rather sullen boy continued to gaze out the window. "These people owe Belnades-sama so much," he began with a stern look, "they should be more appreciative of her, Hakuba-san."

His classmate groaned in mild aggravation, and lightly shook her head in disbelief. "What do you want them to do," she asked with a longsuffering look, "build a statue of her?"

"That would be a nice gesture," the sophomore mused, his eyes still looking towards the fields outside. "This world _should_ know who its savior is."

"Savior," the orange-haired girl asked in exasperation, "Tai-chan, don't you think you're giving her a little too much credit?"

"Of course not!" the brown-haired youth snapped as he abruptly turned back to her. "Belnades-sama is a hero! A shining invincible light that obliterates the evil that seeks to consume this world! As long as we have Belnades-sama to protect us, we have nothing to fear!"

Suddenly, a brief eruption of derisive laughter came from the behind the pair. "Nothing to fear," a sarcastic female voice asked, "you really think that annoying woman can save your pitiful lives, you're even stupider than you look."

"What did you say!" the sophomore snapped back, as he instinctively sat up and turned towards the accuser, which turned out to be the pig-tailed girl who chuckled evilly at him in homeroom.

"Tai-chan, stop!" Megumi shouted as she pulled on his arm.

"I won't stop!" the angry youth shot back as he refused to budge. "I will not waver in the face of evil!"

"What's going on in there!" a woman's voice demanded. Everyone turned towards the front and saw the homeroom teacher had re-entered, her hands on her hips and a stern gaze on her mature face.

"K-K-Konno-sensei," the Hakuba girl spoke in a frightened voice.

The older woman looked to each student, and her eyes stopped at the formerly overzealous youth. "Explain yourself, Taiki Masahiro-san," she began, though her politeness was noticeably forced, "what was that about someone being, _evil,_" she concluded as she slightly leaned forward.

The sophomore simply stared at her, and offered no response.

"Oh," the pig-tailed girl remarked with an amused smirk, "is that what you're calling yourself now? Hmph, how laughable, thinking you can hide who you really are."

An infuriated rising growl escaped the young man's lips as he turned to his accuser, a look of insane hatred on his face. "_**DIE DEMON!**_" he screamed in rage as he began to climb over the seats.

"_**STOP RIGHT THERE!**_" Konno shouted as she rushed past Megumi after Taiki, who'd gotten into the aisle. She reached out with her right hand and grabbed the advancing youth's opposite wrist. The enraged sophomore turned suddenly and lunged forth with a right cross, which the faculty member expertly blocked. She then drove a hard knee into his midsection, which doubled him over and made him groan in obvious pain. The next thing she did was push him into a nearby seat.

"Now stay there!" she demanded, as she pointed her finger in her charge's agonized face. "I won't have you threatening your fellow students! You're confined to this bus for the rest of the trip, and you're seeing the principal when we get back! Am I understood?"

"You fool!" the stricken youth spoke through his pain. "They must be destroyed, or they'll kill everyone here! Only Belnades-sama can stop them!"

"Marissa Belnades has no authority in the Tokyo school system," Konno countered evenly, "I do. And it sickens me that I must remind you like _this._" She then turned towards the driver. "Hamano-san, make sure he stays put until we depart."

"Yes, Konno-sensei."

The older woman then turned to the strange pair in the back. "And that goes for you two as well. I don't know what kind of school you attended before, but we don't tolerate such juvenile antics here. Remember that."

A nervous laugh came from the dark-haired youth. "Yes, Konno-sensei," he replied.

"Meh," his companion added.

The homeroom teacher gave her a hard look, but made no retort. "Now come, we're keeping the rest of the class waiting." She then turned to Megumi with a relatively softer look as she motioned towards the exit.

"But-" the orange-haired girl began.

"No," Konno interrupted in a firm voice, "not this time."

She then gave the seated you a sad look, right before she turned and headed briskly towards the exit.

Taiki watched as his remaining classmates left the bus, as did his homeroom teacher. His head sunk low, not just from the physical pain but from his sudden isolation. "_Blast,_" he thought to himself, "_they know who I am. They must be in league with the demon, why else would they have stalked me?_" He quickly reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his cellphone. "_I need to call Belnades-sama. If she doesn't come here, everyone will be killed!_" He looked out the other window, and saw his classmates had already gone out of sight. "_Megumi-san,_" he thought sadly.

* * *

The group lunch went on in a relatively peaceful manner, as the students sat amongst the wide sunflower fields, and enjoyed the beautiful display of nature around them. Off in the distance, a couple of students saw the wall their teacher had mentioned earlier.

"Man, I can't believe Masahiro-san went off like that," one of the male students began in between bites of his bento.

"No kidding," another male student interjected, "I mean seriously, demons? Who's he trying to impress?"

"He's trying to impress that Church woman," the bespectacled pupil chimed in, "notice how reverently he speaks of her."

"Not to mention Hakuba-san," a fourth student added with a sly grin, which made all the gathered pupils laugh together.

"Yeah," the second student replied, "I don't get what she actually sees in him, the guy's a freakin' loon!"

"You said it," the first boy added.

A short distance from them, Megumi looked towards the group. A deep sigh escaped her, as deep down she knew they'd spoken about Taiki, which made her homemade lunch lose some of its appeal. She sadly shook her head, as thoughts of her sullen friend came to the forefront of her mind. "Tai-chan," she spoke under her breath. She looked up to the blue sky, and watched as the light cirrus clouds rolled across towards the northern horizon. Around that time, she heard the sound of footsteps from behind her. She looked over her shoulder, and saw her homeroom teacher approaching her, a serious look on her face. "Konno-sensei," the young girl spoke reverently, though surprised by her presence.

"Hakuba-san, please come with me."

The orange-haired girl bowed her head, then nodded in agreement.

She followed her instructor down the dirt path, and they stopped atop a hill. She looked out, and saw a countless number of sunflowers before her, all shining in the noontime sun. At the very edge she saw a high wall, and was certain it was the same one her teacher had mentioned on the bus. She noted the wall didn't quite stretch across the fields, but seemed to branch off at right angles and continue towards the horizon. The more Megumi looked at it, the more she started to believe that something was concealed behind the wall, which made the rumors about the infamous Witch's Knoll seem slightly more plausible.

"Hakuba-san," her elder spoke, which interrupted her train of thought.

The sophomore quickly turned to her. "Yes, Konno-sensei," she asked with an anxious look.

The adult woman turned to her with a grave expression. "Hakuba-san, tell me. What do you see in Masahiro-san?"

The orange-haired girl stammered for several seconds as she tried to verbalize a coherent answer. She laughed nervously as several strands of hair stuck out of place. She sighed to herself, and then regained her composure. "It's just, he looked so lonely back then. He never smiled, never talked to anyone, I just, I just wanted to know what happened to him!" she finally blurted out. "My mother and father, always taught her to try to help those in need, and he definitely looked like he needed help."

Kumiko Konno hummed to herself as she regarded her pupil. "How admirable of you. But Hakuba-san, just because someone might need help doesn't always mean they want it." She paused for a moment, and knit her eyebrows together. "I don't you probably don't want to hear this, but you should know, this isn't his first outburst. And this time he not only threatened his fellow students, but he tried assaulting a faculty member. Can you imagine what'll happen if word of this incident gets back?"

Megumi looked away in shame, as she recalled the times Taiki had gotten into verbal fights with his fellow students, and sometimes physical fights, and mostly over his heavily concealed past and his ties to Belnades. Anyone who spoke ill of his missing family or his benefactor was immediately targeted and denounced by him.

"I know that," the sophomore finally replied, "it's just, I don't want to see him suffer like this!" she declared, as tears came to her eyes. "He shouldn't have to be alone, why won't he let me help him?" As she continued to weep, she felt her teacher wrap her slender arms around her back, and hold her tightly against her. Megumi continued to weep as she returned the gesture.

"As I said," Konno continued with a grave look, "some people don't want to be helped, and some only want it on _their_ terms. And even though it won't help them in the end, they're too stubborn to realize it." She relaxed her hold and gently moved her pupil back. "And Hakuba-san," she continued as she lightly lifted her grieving student's face up, "the last thing I want, is to see you get hurt, because you fell for the wrong boy."

The orange-haired girl sighed to herself, as she looked off to the side and considered her teacher's words.

"Ah, such a beautiful I find myself beholding," an elated male voice began. "Even the sheen of these bountiful posies is as nothing compared to the rapturous beauty of the two of you, together. Truly, I am moved beyond my ability to express, but my heart dictates I strive to do so, regardless of how daunting a task it may be."

Megumi groaned as she recognized the voice. She looked past her teacher and saw the form of the dark-haired transfer student behind her, a broad smile on his handsome features. "Murushi-san," she began with a chagrined look.

The faculty member released her charge and turned to the newcomer. "What are you doing here away from the other students," she inquired with a stern look, her hands on her hips.

"Ah, my dear Konno-sensei," the seemingly enraptured youth began, "your ability to console this poor weeping flower is indeed a marvel to behold, even more so than the grand natural expanse before us. We shall only be here for a short time, we should enjoy it as much as we can before we must return to rather unsightly realm known as, civilization."

The sophomore groaned flatly, unsure about where to be touched or embarrassed by her peers' speeches. Her teacher, however, looked rather exasperated by the display. "Just what do you think you're doing," she demanded firmly.

"Oh my, no need to be offended," Rago began with a supposedly apologetic gesture, "it does not become you. Nor do tears become you, dear Megumi-chan."

The orange-haired girl winced a bit, but couldn't hide the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Yes, the sight of your radiant countenance marred with tears is most disheartening." He looked towards the northern horizon. "Tis a blemish, just like that cold wall out there, an eyesore amongst this boundless beauty. And it should be this way, these lands, as well as yourself, should be pristine, and marveled by all."

Megumi sighed to herself, feeling more touched by the charming stranger.

"Are you quite finished," Konno asked with a longsuffering look. "I don't know what you're trying to prove, but the last thing Hakuba-san needs right now is a stranger trying to flirt with her. If you have nothing else better to do, then return to the other students. I'm sure your friend is wondering where you are."

"Oh, your concern for my welfare touches the very core of my being. Such a pity a dubious man like Masahiro cannot appreciate what you two have to offer. If he shall not come forth and gratefully accept your joined kindness, then allow me to act in his stead. Let me express my heartfelt admiration and adoration of you fine examples of female dignity," he went on, as he spread his arms out wide. "**Je t'aime!**"

* * *

Taiki glared at the display of his cellphone, incensed at what he saw. "No bars," he asked indignantly, "what's the meaning of this?"

"Can't get a call out," the driver asked as he looked over his shoulder. "Might as well give up, this whole area seems to have bad reception, you'll have to wait until we get back."

The lone youth angrily closed his phone, and continued to glare at it. "_Blast, if I can't contact Belnades-sama, everyone will be killed by those demons!_" He inhaled sharply, as a horrifying thought came to his mind. "_Hakuba-san!_" He began to rise, though his aching stomach groaned in protest. He grunted in pain, and strove to ignore it as he got to his feet.

"Hey! Get back in your seat!" Hamano snapped at the youth.

Taiki ignored his protests and headed towards the front.

"Did you hear me!" the driver all but shouted as he rose to block the way forward. "I said get back in your-" He was rudely interrupted as the student drove his foot right into his nether regions, which made him double over in pain. The incensed youth then followed up with two more kicks, grabbed the back of his collar and slammed his head into the steel pole by the driver's seat. He smashed him into the pole one more time for good measure, then roughly shoved him into his seat.

He took a moment to glare at the incapacitated driver, who deserved no less for interfering with him. He then pulled on the appropriate lever, and the bus doors opened, which he promptly passed through.

Taiki ran across the fields, favoring his ribs as he continued forward. He knew the demons were assuredly enacting their sinister plans, so he knew he had to hurry. It didn't take him long before he reached the other students, and was privately amazed they were still alive.

"Masahiro-san!" the closest student exclaimed with a startled look.

"Where's Hakuba-san!" the injured youth demanded as he grabbed the boy's collar. "Where is she!"

"Hey, chill out, man! What the hecht's gotten into you?"

"None of your business! Now tell me where she is or I'll break your scrawny neck!"

A female student with curly red hair immediately went over and got in the angered youth's face. "You stop that right now, Masahiro-san, or I'll tell Sensei on you!"

"Wait a minute," a second girl asked, as she looked around in confusion, "where is Sensei?"

"Hey, those two two newbies are gone, too!" another boy interjected.

"You don't think they're hiding out with the witches, do you," the bespectacled student inquired.

"Oh, come off it, Shindou-san, there's _no_ such thing as witches!"

Taiki screamed in rage, released his hostage, and ran towards the northern hill. Four students were nearly bowled over as he charged forward.

The prodigy of the great Marissa Belnades ran across the sunflower fields, and the northern hill soon came in sight. "_Blast,_" he thought to himself, "_had I known this would've happened I would've brought my spear. Then those demons would have no chance against me!_" He exhaled bitterly, and knew even if he had managed to bring the weapon to school, there was no way he could've completely concealed it. And should it have been discovered, his grandmother would've soon been contacted, and she would've been irate that he'd taken it from the attic, which was deemed off-limits by both her and Belnades. The thought of facing their combined ire terrified him like little else. He then shook his head vigorously, and focused on the task at hand. "_There's no time for regrets,_" he thought to himself, "_I need to save Hakuba-san and Konno-sensei, or they'll surely die!_"

Hesoon made his way to the top of the hill, and saw the high stone wall down below. He knew the demons had taken Hakuba and Konno into the sealed area, and ran downhill at top speed, further accelerated by gravity as well as haste. He sped across the fields towards the wall, then began to slow down as he saw the remains a large steel gate situated in the center. Both sides barely hung on their hinges, and parts of them were twisted outwards. Despite their wretched condition, he saw no scorch marks on the gate doors, which were easily six inches thick. Both of the handles looked visibly bent, which led Taiki to an undeniable conclusion. The gate wasn't blasted open with magic; someone, or something, had forced it open with their bare hands. That fact terrified him, as he started to realize the kind of power his enemies possessed.

As he stepped away from the broken gate, he saw two men in black suits, immobile on the ground. Instinctively he knew they guarded the gate from possible intruders. Or at least they did, he realized, until a few moments ago. He inspected the body to the left of the gate, and gape in horror as he saw his head had been all but smashed to a pulp, with cracks in the wall behind it, along with smeared blood. He then looked to his companion, and found him lying dead on the ground, the front of his suit covered with blood. Fearfully, he took a closer look, and saw a pair of puncture wounds in the corpse's exposed neck. He held his head tightly, and gasped in sheer horror. "No," he uttered with a mortified look, "no, not again!"

* * *

"_Now do you understand," the silver-haired demoness asked the horrified youth with a remorseless grin, which exposed her bloodied fangs, "_this_ is the purpose of your wretched kind, it's all you humans are good for!" She threw her head back in maniacal laughter, which sounded like the laughter of the Devil itself._

* * *

Taiki Masahiro whimpered for several long moments, then screamed to the heavens in rage and anguish over the life that had been stolen from him. "I will never forgive you!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "You demons destroyed **everything** that I loved, **everything** that I was, and left me with nothing but hate! For all the suffering you've caused me, I will **never** rest, not until I have _**EXTERMINATED YOU ALL!**_"

The enraged youth ran through the broken gate and entered the sealed area. No sooner than he had that he felt the same terror that had gripped him a year before, when he lost everything to evil. Though his instincts told him to stop, he knew it would've given his enemies the satisfaction of knowing they'd beaten him, so he pressed on regardless.

He continued forward, as the pain in his stomach lessened to a dull ache, which enabled him to run without any distractions. After almost a minute of nonstop running he saw a small dilapidated house near the edge of the sunflower fields, and the menacing feeling he felt earlier increased. With an enraged growl, he forced himself forward to what seemed to be his destination.

Taiki broke through the fields and stopped in the clearing that surrounded the house. No sooner than he did that he saw five figures between him and the house. He seethed inwardly as he saw Megumi, who was being held captive by the pig-tailed demon who'd infiltrated the school for her own evil ends. He also saw his homeroom teacher, held in the grasp of the nefarious scoundrel who'd targeted Megumi throughout the school day. Before them stood an unfamiliar woman, clad in a loose fitting tan dress with long flowing sleeves, bound at the waist and all but reaching the ground. Her wavy dirty blonde hair flowed gently, though there was no breeze in the area. What really incensed Taiki was ruby irises that peered towards him, coupled with a smirk on her somewhat pale features, which definitely weren't Japanese.

"Oh my," the stranger began in an amused high-pitched voice, "to think someone would've dared invade our hallowed ground. I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or annoyed."

"Who are you!" the brown-haired youth demanded angrily.

"If you _must_ know," the woman replied with a slight scowl, "my name is Morganna Fortner, the caretaker of these, fair lands," she concluded as she stretched her arms out wide.

"Liar! These lands belong to Belnades-sama after she cleansed them of your evil kind!" he declared as he defiantly pointed his finger at her.

"Evil, ha! Marissa wouldn't know real evil to save her pitiful life! She's always turned a blind eye to the evil committed by man!"

"What do you mean?"

"We witches have lived on these pristine lands for generations," the strange woman explained as she motioned to the scenery around her, "then you _humans_ invaded and began desecrating it. Humans planned to turn this into a filthy garbage facility!" she snapped, rage written all over her face. "We only sought to protect this land from the evil of humanity! Marissa should sided with us, but _no,_" she continued with scathing sarcasm, "she sided with the humans. The same humans who have blighted this land and everything else they come into contact with, the same humans who have revived that foul demon Dracula time and time again, yet Marissa ignorantly continues to defend _them._ So tell me, boy, who's the evil one now?"

"Enough of your heresy!" Taiki shot back. "Belnades-sama is a hero, a champion of God! She saved the world from Dracula and the rest of your evil kind! Your pathetic attempts to slander her holy name only demonstrates the evil in your corrupt heart! All who oppose Belnades-sama shall be exterminated, and cast back into the abyss from whence you came!"

Morganna threw her head back, and laughed in maniacal glee, which lasted a good fifteen seconds. "Oh my, so young and yet so indoctrinated. I wonder what lengths Marissa went to brainwash you so thoroughly?"

"She couldn't have worked too hard," the orange-haired demoness interjected, and then gave him a condescending look. "This idiot has no brains. He has no guts, either, he's always been the type to hide behind a woman's skirt."

"_**SILENCE!**_" Taiki roared, and screamed in rage as he ran towards the offender, his fist reared back. Suddenly, Konno raced towards him, and nailed him in the stomach with a reverse back kick. The enraged youth was completely taken off guard and knocked hard onto the ground.

The sophomore lied on the ground for several seconds, as the wind had been knocked out of him. He finally sat up, and saw his homeroom teacher standing over him, an insane look in her usually composed eyes. "Konno-sensei," he began weakly, shocked that she'd assaulted him.

"Stand down, opposer!" the older woman spoke in a more commanding voice than she'd used before. "How dare you interfere with Fortner-sama's glorious plans! Your impudence will no longer be tolerated!"

Taiki looked on in horror, mortified that his usually kind teacher had talked down to him so harshly. And as if to add insult to injury, Megumi came up beside her, an equally insane look in her eyes. "Depart forthwith from this sacred realm, heretic!" she declared to the thunderstruck youth. "There is no place in our world for your cowardly breath!"

The sophomore stared at them in abject horror, devastated that they would've spoken to him so venomously. "Hakuba-san, Konno-sensei, what have those demons done to you? Have they stolen your souls?"

The pair looked down contemptuously upon the prone student, no semblance of their previous selves in their collective gaze.

"Now now, my pretties," the dark-haired youth spoke up with a sinister smile, "that's enough fun. Come, we have much work to do."

The two woman immediately turned in his direction. "Yes, Murushi-sama," they replied in unison, and promptly returned to his side.

"No, come back!" Taiki beckoned as he reached out towards them, yet saw his words had been ignored. Even worse, he watched as they amorously clung to both sides of him, and caressed his well-formed face. The prone youth seethed at what he'd witnessed, as he realized they'd been spellbound. "You- you insufferable wretch!" he called out as he held his stomach in pain, "I-I'll tear you apart for what you've done to them!"

"Hmph, such a noisy one you are," Morganna remarked with a callous disregard. "Then again, my plants could use such a feisty meal."

Before Taiki could've responded, he watched as the evildoer thrust her arms into air, and a vile crimson aura surrounded her. A moment later, intense rustling came from the sunflowers, which seemed anything but natural. A split second after that, eight large forms arose from the vast flowerbed, and effectively separated him from the others. Even though they were bipedal, their bodies carried more the semblance of vegetables rather than animals. Each had several red eyes upon their oddly shaped heads, all glowing with hate. The plant monsters raised their claws upwards as they screamed in rage and hunger, sickening fluids dripping from their fanged maws.

"Go forth, my hanabake!" the blonde woman's voice commanded from behind the vegetative throng. "Devour this pathetic human!"

One of the monsters instantly leaped towards Taiki, who quickly dodged to the side. Another plant demon lashed out at him with its claws, but he spun to its blind side and nailed it with a hard elbow. Seemingly undaunted, the beast retaliated with a backhanded swipe that knocked the youth to the ground. Another leaped into the air, and clearly aimed to pounce upon the fallen boy. But Taiki rolled out of the way and the monster crashed onto the ground. He lifted himself slightly off the ground, looked over his shoulder, and saw another plant demon charging towards him, its open maw signifying it planned to devour him head first. He quickly rolled away again, found himself near another beast, and kicked it in the side of the knee with both feet. As he got to his knees, he saw another plant monster rushing him. He quickly somersaulted on the ground, and the beast collided with one of its own.

* * *

Morganna watched the boy attempting to battle the hanabake, a detached look on her face. "Such a naive youth," she mused to herself. "Your struggles against my creatures are useless, as is mankind's struggle to resist its own dark heart. You shall succumb here, and by the stroke of midnight Marissa will join you. Then no one will stand against me."

Her red eyes glanced downwards, and her delicate fingers went to her waist, and stroked the barely discernible swell concealed by her raiment. "Yes, my child, by the time you come into the world there shall be nothing to fear. The wretched bloodline of Belnades will finally be no more. And finally, my triumph over Marissa will be complete." She laughed quietly to herself, as he envisioned the agonized expression of utter despair on her archenemy's face, as she disappeared forever from the world.

* * *

Oh crap, what sort of diabolical machinations is this? Will those girls be freed from Morganna's sinister spell? Will the Five Maidens find their way to each other? Will Tsukune ever figure out he's not in Japan? And just who in the world is Taiki Masahiro?

"And will Moka wind up on Japan's Most Wanted?"

"Hey! I'm not a criminal, if anyone should be wanting me, it's Tsukune. Right, Tsukune?"

"Uh, Moka-san?"

_CAPU CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!_

It never fails. And for those interested;

"Konnichiwa" = "Hello"

"Watashi wa" = "My name is"

"Bishounen" = "cute boy"

"Oji-san" = "older man (such as a grandfather)"

"Kaoku no Keiji" = "House of the Apocalypse"

"Freaky much?"

"Just a bit, desu."

Yeah, just a bit. Anyway, tune in next time for Part II Chapter XVI Dark Invitation


	22. Part II Chapter XVI

A/N Hello everyone, hope you're all doing well for yourselves. Again, the update takes longer than it should've, I deeply apologize for that, especially to those who've come to enjoy this story. Rest assured, the next update won't take as long.

"We hope, this waiting is really getting on my nerves, desu."

"Me too, let's find Tsukune so I can give Haha-ue the grandchildren she's been anxiously waiting for."

"Hey, Tsukune is mine!"

"No, Moka, he's mine!"

Uh, here we go again. And as always, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, the are the licensed properties of their rightful owners. Anyway, without further ado, on with the show.

Part II Chapter XVI  
Dark Invitation

Back at the high school, a stern-looking man stood behind his desk as he regarded his attentive pupils. "Now class, turn to page two hundred seventy-six of your history books. Today we'll be studying the Meiji era, I don't need to remind you to study the material diligently."

A light groan came from one of the junior boys, which he'd somewhat expected, for he was notorious for springing pop quizzes on his class.

"Now then, based on what we'd studied earlier, can anyone tell me when the Meiji period officially began?"

A rugged junior with sandy blonde hair immediately raised his hand.

"Miyamoto-san," the teacher spoke in acknowledgment.

"Attention," a female voice came over the intercom, "all faculty members report to the auditorium for an important meeting. Repeat, all faculty members report to the auditorium for an important meeting. No exceptions. Repeat, no exceptions. This is not optional, it is mandatory."

The instructor hummed to himself, somewhat annoyed by the interruption but tried to keep it private. "Looks like it'll have to wait for now," he remarked as he turned to the rugged youth. "Make sure you have that answer ready when I return."

"Yes, sensei."

The history teacher promptly made his way to the auditorium, and saw many of his peers had already arrived.

"Hey, Ishikawa-san," a happy-looking man with neatly cut brown hair called out.

"Akimoto-san," the more serious man replied.

"So, what do you think Arualmai-sensei wants," the art teacher asked curiously, "kinda odd, calling a meeting in the middle of class, don't you think?"

"She's the principal's secretary, so her authority comes from him. It's not our place to question his orders."

"Yeah, even so, she's really been throwing her weight around as of late. Those two transfer students, the field trip to Fujimi City, and now this. And she'd only arrived a few days ago, what do you think she's up to?"

"She's simply doing her job," the history teacher curtly rebutted, "you're looking too deeply into this."

"Ah, if you say so," his associate replied, though his face clearly showed he wasn't convinced.

Soon everyone was gathered in the auditorium, very anxious about the upcoming announcement. After a couple of minutes, a comely woman came from behind the curtain, clad in a bright sapphire blazer which hugged tightly against her body. She also wore a matching skirt, which stopped just above her knees, and had a slit on the right side which revealed slender yet very toned legs, which ended with a pair of moderately-heeled shoes. She wore a white blouse beneath her blazer, and a crimson-colored tie around her slender neck. Her long sapphire hair was neatly done up in a bun, and she wore a pair of woman's glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Hello everyone," she began in a serious tone, yet it couldn't hide the sensuous quality of her voice, "I'm glad you could've come on such short notice." She paused for a moment, and looked to both sides. She smiled pleasantly, as she saw she had their complete attention. "Now then, since you're all so curious about the purpose of this meeting, I'll be glad to tell you." She stepped to the edge of the stage, and lowered her chin. "You are no longer needed," she spoke with a foreboding smirk.

"What," Ishikawa asked in shock, and noted several others were just as confused.

"Take a nice long nap," the woman continued, as she weaved her hands in front of her. "**SLEEP!**" she spoke in an echoing voice, as a huge wave of lavender energy shot forth and passed over the whole crowd. The usually resilient history teacher groaned as the nullifying energy washed over him. He struggled to remain conscious, but the strange power that assaulted him was too strong, and he soon lapsed into slumber along with the others.

The lone woman chuckled to herself, her eyes glowing with a bright violet aura. "And once you awaken, you'll have forgotten all about me, and the past few days. It'll be like a dream." She then wrapped her arms around herself, as her dark smile grew broader. "And once Fortner has eliminated the last of the three opposers, there'll be nothing left to stop the return of our lord."

Suddenly, the side door of the auditorium burst open, and a blonde youth with a rugged face rushed inside. He gasped as he saw the unconscious teachers in the audience, then turned to the strange woman. "Arualmai-sensei," he spoke sharply, "what's going on here?"

"You don't need to know," she spoke dismissively, "begone!" She thrust her left hand forward, and a wave of force shot towards the newcomer, who braced his legs and crossed his arms over his chest and face. He was pushed back several inches, but still remained standing. "What," the blue-haired woman asked with a surprised look.

"Two can play at that game!" the student shot back, and reared back with his right fist. "_**EMPTY FIST HOLE PUNCHER!**_" he shouted and he thrust forward with his attack, which sent a powerful force into his target. The woman was clearly startled and knocked back a foot. More than that, her hair became loosed, her glasses flew off as did all her clothes. The newcomer looked on in shock, as he saw her clad in a black leotard, which clung tightly to her curvaceous body, and revealed her shoulders and a good part of her hips. Her shoes were replaced with high-heeled leather boots that went up to her mid-thigh. He also saw two catlike ears that protruded from her wealth of sapphire hair.

"Blast," the exposed woman commented with a sour look as she got into a defensive stance, "I can't believe that actually hurt me!"

"You!" the blonde youth called out. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You don't need to know. And for taking the humans' side, you are condemned to death." She then leaped high into the air, and disappeared from sight.

"Get back here!" the newcomer called out as he ran onto the stage. He looked towards the ceiling, and saw no sign of the former secretary. After a few seconds, he exhaled in obvious frustration. "Blast, she got away." He then looked to the crowd, and saw they were immobile. "Ishikawa-sensei!" he called out as he ran to his instructor's side. He checked his neck, and saw he still had a pulse, but was clearly unconscious. The student checked three more, and found the same results. "No, what- what was happened here?" A horrifying thought came to him and he looked towards the rear exit. "Oh no, the principal!" he exclaimed and quickly made his way out.

* * *

Taiki spun away from another charging plant demon and nailed it from behind with a double axehandle. Though his intent didn't waver, he saw his blows were still relatively ineffective against the monsters that converged on him. Regardless, he planned to fight on, as he was certain if he remained true to his cause, victory would've inevitably been his, since justice was on his side.

Another plant demon lunged at him, but he quickly avoided it and kicked it in the back. Yet another lunged it him, its jaws opened wide and hungering for his flesh. He quickly spun aside and the beast inadvertently bit on one of its own. Suddenly, a whipping sound shot through the air, and the brown-haired youth felt a bind on his left ankle. He looked down, and found his ankle ensnared by a long green vine. Before he could've reached for it, more vines wrapped around his opposite wrist, and then his left forearm. He groaned in aggravation as his arms were pulled apart, while his formerly free ankle was also ensnared. The next thing he felt was himself being pulled to the ground. He looked about, and saw vines extending from the beasts' talons, as their hissing became more shrill, and had a triumphant tone to it.

As Taiki struggled with his predicament, the sound of Morganna's sinister laughter came from near the house. "Excellent," she spoke in a pleased voice. "Now, my hanabake, tear that wretched human apart!"

The plant demons did as commanded, which stretched his limbs out uncomfortably. "No!" he cried out, as desperation finally began to seep into his soul. "You can't do this! I won't be defeated here!" His pain increased by the moment, as he felt his muscles and ligaments being strained. "_**BELNADES-SAAAAMAAAAAA!**_"

Suddenly, crackling otherworldly energy filled the air above him, which caused the sunflowers to rustle dramatically, as if they'd been assailed by gale force winds instead. As he looked up, he soon felt the grip on the limbs had slackened, as clearly his enemies had noticed it as well.

"What the hecht is that!" the pig-tailed demoness asked, audibly confused by the phenomenon.

Taiki looked up, and the strange energy crackled even more fiercely. A few moments later, a huge sphere manifested above him, large enough to contain a human body, which caused him to scamper back three feet away. Within the translucent orb he watched as a strange figure appeared, and the sphere began to descend towards the ground. Once the figure landed on its feet, the orb dissipated, which revealed the form of a woman, whose back was turned to him, and clad in a long black skirt along with some form of pink top which left everything above her shoulder blades bare. He saw numerous burns and bruises upon her exposed skin, and wondered how she'd been injured. Her dark locks reached down to the top of her upper raiment, and was done in two ponytails on the sides of her head. Long threadbare gloves reached from her upper arm to the base of her middle finger, and a wand of gnarled wood was held in her right hand. The newcomer seemed a bit weary, as she was slightly bent over and her breathing came in heavy spurts. But what truly caught his attention was a familiar golden bracelet on her left wrist, and the presence she seemed to exude. "This can't be," he said to himself in disbelief, "Belnades-sama has no family save for Obaa-chan."

"What is the meaning of this!" Morganna's voice demanded from the house. "No matter, devour the interlopers!"

"Stay down," the newcomer spoke over her shoulder, "I'll handle this." Her eyes widened at bit as they met his own, but she quickly shook it off and focused on the task ahead. She thrust her wand out to the side, and the jeweled center glowed brilliantly. Taiki watched as six ebony wings materialized on her back. More than that, some the feathers actually extended out from the wings. One of the beasts lunged towards her, and she swung her extended feathers towards it, which acted like blades and cut the plant demon to pieces. Another rushed her, and she countered with a reverse slash of her deadly feathers which rent the oncoming monster asunder. A third lunged in, its gaping maw open wide. The woman turned towards it, and the feathers of her wings extended like tendrils and shot into the beast's mouth and torso. Her wings then flapped out to the sides, and her tendrils cut the plant demon to pieces. She then moved toward Taiki's left flank, and shot forth a wave of deadly feathers, which cut down three more hanabake as they approached. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw the last two demons rushing towards her. She bent her knees and leaped high into the air, higher than normal humans could've accomplished, and the plant monsters stumbled under her. As they tried to locate her again, she raised her wand aloft, and sent down another wave of deadly feathers which decimated the last of them.

Taiki quickly got to his feet, and looked to the destroyed demons before him. Though the sight awed him, it also annoyed him, as he felt only Marissa Belnades had the power and the right to vanquish evil. He looked over to his enemies, and saw a horrified look on the lead conspirator's face. "This isn't possible!" she declared incredulously as she regarded the strange woman. "You're supposed to be dead!"

The stranger's gaze became indignant as she turned it towards the blonde woman. "Yes," she began in a low, accusing voice, "that's what you had planned, wasn't it, Morganna? Between Colton and Belnades, there's no way we should've survived, right?"

The blonde woman shielded her face with her forearm, her red eyes wide in obvious fear.

"Tell me, Morganna," the newcomer continued, her voice thickly laced with venom, "did you feel _any_ remorse when you turned against us? Nothing is supposed to be stronger than the bonds between witches, yet _you_ threw that all way!" She took a step towards the accused. "And for what?"

"T'ch, bonds between witches," the sinister woman retorted, her fear giving way to contempt, "that's the same nonsense Oyakata spewed, and look where it got her."

"Because of **you!**" the stranger shot back heatedly.

"Don't be so quick to judge _me,_ Ruby. Your master was at the end of her life, she wouldn't have lived to see her _grand ambitions,_" she continued with obvious sarcasm, "come to fruition. And even with a hundred years of magical experience she _still_ wouldn't have defeated Marissa! There was no point in fighting for a lost cause, so I took what I came for and departed!"

"Lost cause," the witch asked, as her right hand began to tremble, "you think, living in harmony with nature, and with one another, everything that comprises our existence." Her shoulders began to shake, as swirls of pinkish violet energy encircled her feet. "You **dare **call that a lost cause," she asked indignantly as she glared at her adversary.

"Wah! What sort of aura is this," Murushi asked in a drastically different voice. "Fortner-sama, what's going on, dechu?"

Taiki balked at what he'd just heard. "Even his voice was a lie," he asked himself.

"Spare me the moral outrage!" Morganna shot back. "Don't you understand, all your pretty ideals mean nothing to Marissa! You, Oyakata, _and_ your ideals would've been destroyed by _her_ power! Ideals without power, _**ARE WORTHLESS!**_" she declared at the top of her lungs.

"So that's why you betrayed us," the strange woman called Ruby asked, her voice quivering with barely controlled rage, "that's why you sold your soul to Dracula, for power?"

The sophomore gasped aloud at the mention of the sinister overlord's name. "Dracula, that's impossible! Belnades-sama destroyed Dracula! There's no way he could ever return!" He cringed as the woman looked over her shoulder towards him. The powerful gaze that met his reminded him of Belnades, though he still deemed it an impossibility.

"I'm sorry," Ruby spoke gravely to the startled youth, "this was not supposed to involve you."

Taiki looked on in confusion and trepidation, unable to respond. He looked at her for several moments, and saw the golden bracelet on her left wrist had begun to glow with a mystical aura. Moreover, her injuries had begun to heal before him, and within seconds, there was no evidence that she'd ever been hurt.

The dark-haired witch then turned back to her enemy. "And yet **you** did it anyway!" she snapped in righteous anger. "You involved him, you involved **us, **in your petty little rivalry against Belnades! You desecrated _**everything**_ we witches hold dear for that, and destroyed _**everything**_ that I loved! And I will **not** allow your sins to go unpunished!" The swirling energy rose up to just below her shoulders, and her hair shot up into the air from the manifestation of pure magical energy. "Your time has come," Ruby announced to the blonde schemer, "_**MORGANNA FORTNER!**_"

The evildoer backed up one step, fear evident in her ruby irises. Her fright grew visibly as she saw her opponent raise her staff aloft, and wisps of flame encircled above it, which coalesced into a sizable blazing sphere. "No, it can't be!"

"**Flame **_**BURN!**_" Ruby shouted as she thrust her staff forward. The fireball careened towards Morganna, who quickly held her hands out. The blazing orb neared her, and a huge fiery explosion erupted.

Taiki shielded his face from the force of the explosion, and he heard the evil ones crying out in fear. After a few seconds, the explosion died down. He looked ahead, and saw the blonde woman with her hands still outstretched, a translucent wall before her as she breathed heavily, which she quickly deduced was a barrier. "Blast, it didn't reach her!"

"You're going to regret this," Morganna proclaimed as she glared hatefully at her opponent. "You're going to wish you **died** with Oyakata!" She raised her hands aloft, and her body became bathed in a sickly crimson aura. "_**BALORE, COME FORTH! CRUSH THESE INTERLOPERS!**_"

Suddenly, the ground around Taiki and Ruby began to tremble, and the former struggled to have kept his footing. He watched as the earth between the two witches swelled up, like a blister upon the fair land. Soon the very ground was rent asunder, as a colossal monstrous being arose from beneath the flowerbed. The demon was covered in sickly gray flesh, and wore huge metal bands upon its wrists. An iron mask covered its gruesome features, save for its mouth and its right eye, which was surrounded by scarred pinkish flesh. Soon it arose completely from the ground, and stood easily seventy feet above everyone. The sophomore couldn't help but tremble before the evil colossus, as he'd never expected to have encountered such a towering foe. The abominable creature growled as it reared its head back, and an eerie glow came from its exposed eye. Taiki quickly dived to the ground, as he heard ear-piercing energy being released, coupled with the ground shuddering for a moment.

* * *

Ruby hovered above the ground, supported by her ebony wings. She looked down, and saw the demon's initial attack had punched a twenty foot hole in the ground. It became painfully evident that his laser attack should've been avoided at all costs. She also saw the brown-haired youth had dived out of the way, which greatly relieved her. Though she knew neither of them were out of danger, for as long as the gigantic monster lived, it wouldn't have stopped until they were both dead, as ordered by the traitor Morganna. "Get away from here, quickly!" she called out to the human below. "I'll handle this!"

She then looked back to her opponent, and saw it curiously holding the right side of its forehead with its clawed hand. At first glance it seemed the demon might've been suffering from a migraine, yet upon closer inspection she saw it was effectively shielding its exposed eye. Its protective stance identified the eye as a weak spot, the only problem was exposing it.

The abominable creature began heading towards Ruby in a slow gait, as the earth below shuddered from his heavy footsteps. She quickly discerned its lackluster speed as another weakness, which didn't surprise her due to its immense size. It reared back with its left hand, which was balled into a huge fist. The dark-haired woman floated higher in the sky, and avoided the oncoming straight punch. She then raised her staff aloft, and sent down a hail of deadly feathers towards its shielded eye. She lost count of how many feathers she'd released, though she soon noted a majority of them left shallow cuts on its skin, while those that hit its bracelet harmlessly bounced off.

Ruby exhaled heavily, frustrated that her attack had been all but ineffective. However, she was quickly brought back into the present as she saw her enemy reaching for her. She promptly glided back as the demon's claw closed on her former position. Once she'd stopped, she summoned her youki and then raised her staff aloft. "_**MAGIC SURROUNDING SEAL!**_" she called out, and a huge bolt of lightning streaked towards the monstrosity. It struck the iron band on its right wrist, along with its mask. The unholy creature groaned in pain, as the electricity coursed through its arm as well as its head. Ruby saw it was visibly more effective than her previous attack, which told her the beast was weaker against magic. Suddenly, the demon groaned in anger, as an eerie glow came from its right eye. Ruby quickly floated to the side as her enemy unleashed a huge laser blast, which was twenty feet in diameter, which traveled past the hill behind them and out of sight.

The huge monster soon covered its eye again, and Ruby soon realized her window of opportunity to have launched an effective attack was very narrow. "There must be an easier way," she thought to herself, "casting two spells in rapid succession is extremely difficult." Before she could've discerned a feasible solution, she saw the summoned creature lumbering after her again, and growled angrily as it raised its mammoth claw aloft. The witch quickly dodged as the powerful swipe barely missed her. The young woman couldn't help but shiver from the fierce gust created by its attack. Once it recovered, it reared back for another sweeping attack. Ruby quickly floated higher and the blow harmlessly passed under her. She then flew in close to its right side, and soon saw a small gap between his arm and his face, where his right eye was covered. Though she couldn't have fit through herself, she soon saw an alternative. "Come forth, my familiars!" she called out as she beckoned up with her left hand. The air above her wavered in several places, which soon coalesced into the forms of several crows. They flew towards their target, and slipped through the gap between the demon's arm and his face. They ruthlessly assailed his eye and warped flesh, and the monstrosity groaned in pain, as his body jerked twice in visibly painful spasms. After several seconds, the demon uncovered his attacked eye, and brutally slammed his claw over it. The dark-haired woman gasped in shock, as she instinctively knew the results of its action. "No! My familiars!"

The masked demon shook his head a few times, then covered his eye with his right hand. Ruby inwardly seethed, not just at the loss of her summoned creatures, but because her opponent had effectively negated the chances of a similar tactic being effective. An enraged hiss escaped her, as she heard mocking laughter from her unholy enemy. It then reared back with its left claw, and the witch quickly floated out of its reach. The monstrosity then closed its claw into a fist, and lunged forth with a series of straight punches, which Ruby managed to evade, though she was beginning to feel the exertion at that point. "_I can't keep this up forever,_" she thought ruefully to herself, "_if I don't defeat him soon, he'll kill-_" She quickly stopped her current train of thought, which she found completely unacceptable. She turned back to her foe, and concentrated her youki, as a purplish aura surrounded her. A familiar glow came from behind his right claw, and she quickly dodged to the side as it fired an enormous laser beam from its exposed eye. She then unleashed a huge barrage of deadly feathers towards it, and the projectiles stuck into its eye and the marred flesh around it. The demon screamed in agony, and stumbled back from the merciless attack.

Ruby ceased her barrage, and watched as her opponent writhed for a couple of moments, which told her that her assault and was very effective. "Good, a few more of those and it should be defeated." She quickly looked about the area, and saw no sign of the brown-haired youth. "I just hope he escaped, and I'll make you pay for involving him," she continued with a fierce look, "Morganna."

* * *

The students gathered in the fields looked more confused by the moment. Not only had their teacher vanished, but four students had as well. To make matters worse, booming sounds were heard from past the hill in the distance. It made the tales of Witch's Knoll seem increasingly more plausible.

Suddenly, a huge beam of piercing light shot from the north, sailed over their heads and streaked off into the distance. The student body all but simultaneously dropped to the ground, and looked towards the southern horizon.

"What on earth was _that,_" one student asked fearfully.

"I knew it was a mistake to come here!" Shindou called out. "The witches have returned to take their revenge!"

"Put a sock in it," a third student shot back, "there's no such thing as witches!"

"Then what do you call that," the bespectacled pupil inquired as he pointed towards the north.

Before anyone could've answered, a man in a white dress shirt and tan slacks ran towards them, holding the side of his head. One of the female students saw him approach, and immediately ran to his side. "Hamano-san, are you alright," she asked with a concerned look.

The driver exhaled angrily, and then turned his head towards her. "Where's Masahiro!" he demanded.

"He ran over that hill!" the third pupil replied fearfully, as he pointed towards the north. "Konno-sensei's missing, and so is Hakuba-san and those two transfer students!"

"What!" Suddenly, a second huge beam fired above their heads, and streaked towards the same direction. The injured man quickly shook his head, and pointed behind him. "Everyone back to the bus! I'm going after them!"

"Yes, Hamano-san!" the concerned female student replied.

* * *

The battle between Ruby and the masked demon raged on, and neared the wall that sealed off the area around the ranchhouse. The dark-haired witch floated away from another overhead swipe of the monstrosity, who quickly straightened up and swung wildly with the same hand. The winged woman deftly floated out of its reach, then concentrated her youki into her staff, as wisps of flame encircled it. She watched as the demon reared its head back, and removed its right claw from its face, as she felt its own youki build up. She quickly glided to the side as the summoned creature fired off another huge beam of light. "_**FLAME, BURN!**_" she shouted, and hurled another fireball right at the demon's exposed eye. The blazing sphere crashed into its target, and a fiery explosion ensued. The masked demon screamed in agony as its eye and sensitive flesh were burned. It stumbled back in serious pain, tripped over the comparatively low wall behind it, and crashed onto the ground, which trembled violently for several seconds from the tremendous impact.

Ruby looked down towards the fallen form of her opponent, partially concealed by the huge dust cloud created from its collapse. She saw its eye and surrounding flesh were badly burned and injured, as tainted blood flowed from its wounds. She noted its legs were still partially draped over the wall, which would've made it look comical had the circumstances been different. Though its youki felt relatively weak, deep down she feared it wasn't dead, so she remained on guard.

Suddenly, an enraged growl came from the supposedly still monster, and its legs were bent back. It then kicked forward with both feet, and smashed out a huge chunk of the wall, which collided with the opposite side and created another broken hole. It then turned its ominous gaze towards Ruby, as its eye glowed menacingly. She promptly floated back as a huge laser beam narrowly missed her. As she regained her bearings, she saw the masked demon began to rise from the ground, and much quicker than she'd anticipated. Within moments it was on its feet again, and headed towards Ruby with a considerably faster gait. She saw it wasn't protecting its eye any longer, so she concentrated her youki, and prepared to unleash another barrage of her deadly feathers, since it was quicker than the new spell she'd just learned. But before she could've released her attack, the demon closed the gap between them and viciously smashed her with its right claw, which sent her flying downward at an angle, and she forcefully crashed onto the ground.

Ruby groaned in pain after her collision, and her hand tightly clutched her left side, which told her she'd either cracked or more probably broken a couple of ribs from the impact. Soon the ground shook from the demon's heavy footsteps, which told her it was headed towards her. She lifted her head, and gasped as her opponent menacingly approached her. It stopped short a few feet, and raised its right foot high into the air. The dark-haired woman instantly knew it's plan of action, so she rolled to the side, as the monstrosity's giant foot crashed down on her former position, and the earth shuddered from the impact. Ruby groaned in pain, and though she wanted to get up and fight again, she feared her adversary wouldn't have given her the chance. It moved in again, and prepared to crush Ruby under its ponderous heel. The dark-haired woman managed to roll away again, though she was in serious pain, and knew she couldn't avoided the demon forever.

The humongous monster moved in again, and raised it right foot for a third attempt at crushing Ruby out of existence. But instead of delivering the fatal flaw, it growled in confusion and hesitated. The dark-haired woman looked up, and saw a familiar figure had clung to the monster's heel. "What are you doing!" she called out to the newcomer. "Get out of here, or you'll die!"

"I won't admit defeat to these demons!" a familiar yet unfamiliar voice cried out. "Surrender and retreat are not in a hero's vocabulary!"

Ruby gave him an incredulous look, flabbergasted that he would've used such language in his situation. At that moment, the unholy creature growled in apparent annoyance, and kicked his right leg out several times. Yet the stubborn human on its ankle refused to relinquish his grasp. "Stop it!" the injured witch called out as she struggled to get to her feet. "Let go while you still can!"

The monster kicked his leg out several more times, and then growled in aggravation. It then reached down, and grabbed the human who clung to its foot. Ruby cried out in shock, horrified as she saw the youth in the demon's grasp. She watched as the fiend straightened up, and brought its captive close to its face. Without another word, the dark-haired witch produced her wings once more and launched herself into the air, radiating with a fierce demonic aura. "**LET HIM **_**GOOOOOOO!**_" she screamed at the top of her lungs as her wings grew larger and unleashed a furious assault of deadly feathers, which caught the distracted creature flush in the face. The masked demon screamed in agony as its exposed flesh and eye were assaulted once more. It staggered back in pain, and lost its grip on its captive. The enraged witch quickly flew down, extended her fathers into tendrils and wrapped them around the falling youth's torso and limbs. She then set him on the ground, while she remained airborne. "Stay there, I'll finish this."

She quickly returned to the skies, and though she was sure he'd screamed at her, she knew she had to end the battle first. "_Master,_" she thought to herself as she tightly clutched her wand, "_give me strength._"

The masked demon shook off the effects of the last attack and glared at her, its exposed and injured eye glowing with intense hatred. It immediately headed towards her, no longer concerned about protecting its weak spot, which told the witch its only prevalent thought was killing her, and anyone else it found. She channeled her remaining youki into her staff, and prepared to unleash the final blow. The monstrosity lashed out viciously with its claws, and Ruby struggled to have dodged the ruthless series of blows. It spread its arms out wide and emitted a rising growl. The dark-haired witch quickly elevated as the demon slammed its huge claws together. She then raised her staff aloft, as a huge fireball hovered above it. A moment later, the masked demon looked up towards her. "_**FLAME, BURN!**_" She hurled her magical assault at the badly wounded demon, and a huge fiery explosion erupted upon impact. The monstrosity shrieked in mortal agony, and stumbled about the area, holding its injured face and eye. Yet the flames began to consume his hand, which only intensified its pain. He pulled it away, and revealed the flesh around his eye had all but burned away, revealing a portion of his ghastly skull underneath. The fire then seemed to enter his eye socket, and assaulted its primal brain. The masked demon spread its arms out wide, and made one last ear-piercing scream, which slowly dulled to a weak groan, and then it toppled over and collapsed onto the ground.

Ruby wavered for a moment, as her wings became translucent. She began to plummet, since she'd expended all her youki with her last attack. As she neared the ground, she concentrated her willpower into her wings, and forced them into stability. She slowed her descent and landed lightly on the ground.

She found herself on her side, though fortunately not her injured one. As she pushed herself up, she looked on and saw the demon's body had begun to disintegrate. She coughed painfully, and wasn't surprised as blood came up her throat. She knew she'd used some of her life-force to compensate for her exhausted youki, and was suffering the consequences. She got to her knees, but got no further as her ribs flared up again. As she held her aching side, she felt a menacing aura in the area. She looked over her shoulder, and saw the shape of Morganna Fortner before her, a scathing look in her red eyes.

"I will not forget this," the blonde woman spoke in a low, deadly voice. "I will not rest until every last Belnades has been erased from this world! If you want these infidels to see the light of day again, come to Kaoku no Keiji. I'll be waiting." She then held her left arm over her torso, and waves of energy arose around her feet. In a white flash, she was gone, as her high-pitched laughter echoed into nothingness.

Ruby's head slumped forward as she remained on her knees, exhausted from the grueling battle. She knew that even with her self-regeneration, it would've taken time to recover. And she knew she had to have regained her strength before she hoped to challenge Morganna again.

Suddenly, she felt herself tackled from behind and driven face-first into the ground. She was then turned onto her back, and felt two merciless hands on her neck. Her eyes went wide as she saw her assailant was the brown-haired youth she'd rescued earlier, his face a twisted mask of rage and hate. "What are you doing," she asked in a strangled voice.

"Silence, worm!" her attacker shot back. "Now that the demon is gone, I can eliminate you without any interference! This is your punishment for denouncing Belnades-sama!"

"Belnades," the throttled witch managed, stricken from both her lack of air and the waves of hate that emanated from the boy. The latter hurt her more, since she'd remembered him as being so kind and forgiving, but she saw nothing of the sort in the youth's fanatical gaze, as her vision began to blur. "Tsukune, why? What has Belnades done to you?"

"**SILENCE!** I will not have you dishonoring her holy name any longer! All who oppose Belnades-sama," he declared zealously, as he tightened his stranglehold, "_**WILL DIE!**_"

Suddenly, a cracking sound was heard, and the insane youth's grip was instantly broken. Ruby slowly sat up, coughing from being strangled so mercilessly. Her slender hand went to her throat, as her vision slowly cleared. She looked to her left, and saw her attacker close by, a dazed expression on his face. She saw he was held up by an older man, who wore a white dress shirt, light brown slacks, and an incensed look on his face.

"That's enough, Masahiro!" the newcomer snapped at the dazed youth. "Now you're assaulting innocent people? You are _really_ starting to try my patience!" he concluded, as he brandished a strange metal rod-like object with his free hand, which Ruby surmised he'd used against the all but fanatical young man.

"Masahiro," the dark-haired woman asked herself, unfamiliar with the name.

The boy she'd guessed was Tsukune Aono shook his head, and quickly regained his bearings. "Do not interfere!" he retorted heatedly. "She is a demon, an enemy of all humanity, and she must be destroyed!"

Ruby gasped in horror, and was immediately besieged by a coughing fit. Though her injured ribs weren't nearly as painful as the hateful diatribe that came from the fanatical youth. It sounded more like the words of Oyakata, or worse, Belnades. She looked to him in open-mouthed horror, aghast that he could've changed so dramatically.

"Get over yourself!" the older man shot back. "I've had enough of your insane ramblings! Give me one good reason I don't bash your brains in right now!"

Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot was heard, and the metal object was knocked out of his hand, which startled everyone except the youth. Ruby took a moment to regain her composure, as she was startled to have encountered another gun again. She looked up, and saw eight men in black suits in the distance, all with guns pointed towards them. They also wore matching hats and sunglasses, which made them all but indistinguishable from one another.

"Release that boy immediately!" the stranger in the lead called out. "He is under the protection of the SDRA! Failure to comply will be deemed a federal offense and punished accordingly!"

The unknown man balked at what he's just heard. "You're protecting _him,_" he asked with an incredulous look. "Are you mad, he assaulted Konno-sensei, myself, and that young woman there! Why on earth are you protecting him?"

"You are no one to be questioning us," the black-clad individual replied in an even tone. "You are trespassing on government property and in violation of Ordinance 2517211119. You and those children will be detained and held for questioning. Any attempt to resist will result in a sentence of no more than ten years and/or a fine of five hundred thousand yen."

"That's outrageous!" the older man proclaimed. "This was just a school field trip, nothing was said about this being government property!"

"Irrelevant, now release Masahiro-san or suffer the consequences."

The man in the white dress shirt growled in disbelief and released the boy with an obvious shove, clearly irate over what had just occurred. He then leaned over slightly and held his forehead. Ruby finally rose to her feet and came to his side. "Are you alright," she asked in concern.

The stranger groaned in response, and looked cautiously towards her. "I will be," he remarked as he rubbed his forehead, "but Masahiro-san won't, not when the principal finds out what he's done."

"Negative," the man in black interjected, "this is government land so this is a government matter. No word of what occurred here shall be discussed with anyone not affiliated with the SDRA, the Japanese government, the Catholic Church, or anyone deemed relevant by members of aforementioned organizations. Failure to comply will result in a sentence of no less than twenty years and/or a fine of one million yen."

"This is insane!" the thunderstruck individual shot back. He would've said more, but Ruby stepped ahead towards the hostile throng.

"Since when did this become the government's property," the dark-haired woman asked with an accusing look. "This land has belonged to us for generations, who are you to steal it from us?"

"Incorrect, this land is under the protection and supervision of the SDRA, in concurrence with the Catholic Church. The nature of its acquisition and previous state are classified information, and shall not be discussed with anyone not affiliated with either organization."

"Don't explain anything to her, Ishimaru!" the brown-haired youth shouted. "She's one of the evil witches who were plotting here to destroy mankind! Execute her!"

"Masahiro-san!" the injured man spoke indignantly, shocked by what he'd just heard.

"Do _not _get ahead of yourself, Taiki Masahiro," the black-clad man spoke sternly. "Just because you are under the protection of the SDRA does not mean you are a part of it. And it does **not** mean you can command it in any way, shape, or form. You would do well to remember that."

The student growled in displeasure.

"Taiki Masahiro," Ruby asked of the incensed youth, who refused to acknowledge her. "So you even threw away your own name? What in the world happened to you? Answer me, Tsukune-san!"

"Enough!" the authoritative-looking man interjected as he aimed his gun at Ruby. "You are not authorized to inquire about Masahiro-san or anything that does or might pertain to him. His records are sealed and protected by the PDRA, any attempt to pry into them shall be punishable by a forty year sentence along with a fine of ten million yen."

"Are you making this up," the dark-haired woman asked with an annoyed look, "because I don't find it funny at all."

"Nor are we amused by your transgressions. Not only are you trespassing on government property, you have been accused of witchcraft, the latter being a criminal offense punishable by life imprisonment and/or execution, coupled with a fine of twenty million yen. However, your sentence can possibly be remedied via recommendation of leading members of the Catholic Church. But you'd have to personally make your case to the leading authority in the resolution of paranormal disturbances. We would then take their recommendations into consideration and render a final decision afterwards. And considering the severity of your offenses, I suggest you contact said authority ASAP as you will not have another opportunity."

"And you really expect me to comply with such a condescending offer," the dark-haired woman asked with a vexed scowl, "don't insult me. Why haven't you gone to such lengths to arraign Belnades? Or Fortner for that matter? The world would be much better off without them."

"Silence!" Taiki snapped heatedly. "Do not speak of that heathen Fortner in the same breath as the great Belnades-sama, the greatest champion the world has ever known, and the savior of all humanity!"

Ruby coughed to herself, still wincing from the pain of her injured ribs as well as disgusted by the youth's comments. "Mankind ill needs a savior such as her," she spoke under her breath.

"Fortner," the man in black asked as his stern expression became blank, and his gun lowered to his side, "_Morganna_ Fortner?" He looked to his cohorts, and saw they had startled expressions on their faces as they looked at one another.

The injured witch quickly turned to the head agent. "So you do know her," she remarked casually, "yet she seems to have eluded you."

"You mean she's escaped," Ishimaru asked with a blank look, "**again?**"

"Oh man," one of the black-clad agents remarked in chagrin, "Belnades-sama is going to have our heads for this."

The man in the lead shook his head, glared at his associate, then turned back to Ruby. "Where is she," he demanded, still quite shaken by what he'd learned.

"Kaoku no Keiji."

"What," Taiki asked with a worried look, "the old haunted house? That's where she's taken Hakuba-san and Konno-sensei?"

The eight secret agents shared a joint look of horror. "You mean she's taken the daughter of the Hakuba Shrine caretaker as a hostage," Ishimaru inquired.

"_And_ my homeroom teacher. That fiend sent two of her servants to the school to kidnap them! This whole field trip was all part of their sinister plan!"

The lead agent groaned in disbelief, as he held his forehead. "I can't believe she's outsmarted us this badly!"

One of his associates leaned close, and whispered in his ear. Though it was too faint for Ruby to have clearly heard. She watched as the agents turned from her and huddled together. A couple looked back to her but quickly turned away.

Finally, the eight secret agents turned back to them. "All of you, come with us for questioning," Ishimaru spoke up. "Any injured shall receive proper medical attention at our facility. As for _you,_" he went on, as he turned to Ruby with a somewhat annoyed look, "you'll be meeting with a representative of the Catholic Church, I suggest you conduct yourself properly and promptly, there are innocent lives at stake."

"Or else what," the dark-haired woman asked as she narrowed her wine-colored eyes, "you'll burn me at it?"

"Burn you at-" Ishimaru made a horrified look, which signified that he got the reference. "Th-that's not what I meant!" he said hastily. "We have a crisis situation here, we can't afford any more mishaps. That's what I meant."

"Sir," one of the men to his left pointed out, "that _was_ a pretty bad choice of words."

The lead agent groaned, and bowed his head in chagrin. "Just, come with us. There's much to discuss and prepare, and little time to do it in."

* * *

Alucard stood along within the town graveyard, as the dawn slowly began to break over the horizon. It was supposed to have signified the start of a new day, and an end to the darkness of before. And yet, even after all his centuries of struggling and sacrifice, it seemed that nothing had changed, which infuriated him to no end. He could mentally picture his cursed sire, laughing at him from deep within the abyss. The very image only further stoked the rage that seethed beneath his stoic gaze.

"I don't understand," he said to himself, "the plan was perfect. Everything went as I'd designed. There should've been no way he could've ever returned. So how, how could this have happened?"

"Arikado-san," a small voice spoke from behind him.

The tall man looked over his shoulder, and saw the young Japanese witch behind him, a remorseful look in her violet eyes. "[Oh, it's just you,]" he remarked dismissively as he turned back to the graves. "[Begone, I have nothing to discuss with you.]"

"[I'm sorry, Alucard-san]" the girl continued, "[When I felt your aura earlier, I thought _you_ were Dracula and had come to kidnap me! So I fought to protect myself, and everyone else, desu.]"

The black-clad man sniffed in disdain. Though he was sorely tempted to have lashed out at the child for her impetuousness, he knew it would've looked bad in his mother's eyes, and ultimately wouldn't have solved anything. He wondered why the pastor and the night watchman hadn't explained it to her, but then remembered their Japanese was very limited, and since no Japanese people had come to the village since the Hakubas returned home after the final battle, they saw no need to practice it. With a heavy sigh, he realized it was up to him to have enlightened the misguided girl. "[He, was, my father,]" he finally managed to admit, which did nothing to alleviate his already sour mood.

A startled gasp came from behind him. "[I see,]" the child began somberly, "[so you're the one Mikogami-sama spoke of, the one born of a vampire and a human, the ones who inspired him to create Youkai Academy.]"

"[Youkai Academy,]" Alucard asked with a suspicious tone, "[what sort of nonsense is this?]"

"[It is not nonsense!]" the girl shot back. "[Your parents inspired him to create the school, where we youkai could learn how to coexist with humans! If humans and youkai could understand one another and live side by side, someone like Dracula would never be able to gain power again, desu!]"

"[T'ch, ridiculous,]" the cloaked man spoke dismissively as he turned his back to her. "[Humans and monsters can never coexist, they were destined to oppose one another. Humans create and monsters destroy, there is no common ground between the two, your headmaster was a fool to think otherwise.]"

"[Oh really!]" the child retorted defiantly, as she leaned forward and placed her hands on hips. "[So you think _all_ monsters are evil? _You, _who was born from the union of a human and a monster?]"

"[Don't give him that much credit, he never loved my mother, monsters are not capable of love. All they are capable of is death and destruction, **nothing more,**]" he concluded with a deep scowl as he shot an annoyed glare over his shoulder.

"[Don't you give me that! I've been around monsters all my life, and I _know_ they're not all evil! Hmph,]" she went on, as she raised her nose in disdain, "[talking in such broad, general terms tells me you don't view them on an individual basis, you merely lump them together into a single collective so you don't have to think too hard and the risk encountering the possibility that you might be wrong. However even if you did come to said possibility you'd doubtlessly refuse to admit it, even to yourself, since it would damage that precious vampire pride of yours.]"

Alucard turned fully towards her, his hands on his hips. "[You think this is all about _pride,_]" he asked with an irritated scowl. "[Foolish child, who do you think you are? You could never understand all the sacrifices I've made, what I've had to endure, everything I've done over the past six hundred years to save the world from the evil of Dracula, it goes **far** beyond _your_ comprehension! Dismissing my suffering as nothing more than pride, how dare you!]"

"[Why not, to a vampire nothing is more important. Or should I say, dhampir, since you'd technically qualify as a half-breed, though you definitely act like a 'pure blood,' so to speak.]"

"[Pure blood,]" he asked with a mild sneer, "[ridiculous. That shows how little you know of vampires. Vampires are undead abominations, created only by forcing their cursed existence onto innocent people, and devouring all the goodness within them. Those afflicted by the vampire's curse are beyond salvation, nor do they wish it, only to live in accordance to their unholy desires.]"

"[That's just silly human folklore, it's not even close to being true! See, you're doing it again! Saying they're all the same so you don't have to know them and risk being proven wrong!]"

"[Are you claiming you know vampires better than I do,]" the swordsman demanded with a vexed look. "[You are starting to try my patience, child! Any more of this effusive nonsense and I'll-]" He would've gone further, but then he felt the presence of two humans nearing their location. He looked past the cowering girl and saw the forms of the night watchman and the village pastor twenty feet from them.

"Oh my," Nandru began in an awed voice as he slowly approached them. "Such a, spirited discussion you were having. While I apologize for interrupting, I hope you're aware what time it is, my Lord."

The blonde man groaned to himself, as he realized the situation looked quite bad for him. "Um, yes Father," he began penitently, as a heavy exhale escaped through his clenched teeth, which was nigh saturated with his bitterness.

The pastor sighed gravely as he bowed his head. "My Lord, I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear, but regardless, the world still needs you. _They _need you," he continued as he motioned to the girl.

"_They_ should stay out of this," Alucard replied pointedly. "it's far too much for them to handle. Marissa and I are more than enough, anyone else will just get in the way. Now _where _is she," he demanded with a fierce look.

The priest gulped nervously, quite taken aback that the black-clad man had cut him off before he could've protested. The son of Dracula knew he'd put him on the spot, but with the possibility his archenemy had somehow revived and released his castle from the Hakubas' seal, he knew he couldn't have afforded any more delays.

"She is," Nandru began warily, "in Japan, with Lady Charlotte."

"Even Charlotte left," the blonde swordsman asked with a surprised look, "at her age?"

"Indeed, she is the only family Marissa has left, she didn't want her, to be alone."

"T'ch, sounds like she still hasn't grown up," the tall man remarked with a perturbed scowl, as he folded his arms under his chest. "Sypha was much more mature when she was her age."

"Lord Alucard!" the holy man replied indignantly.

"She doesn't have time to weep, she needs to set aside her grief and focus on the task at hand. Now get the truck ready, I'm leaving for Japan immediately. And I'll be back shortly, with Marissa." He then walked past them and headed back towards them.

"W-wait, my Lord!" Nandru called out. "Please, take Sendo-san, she can help you."

"You deal with her, it'll be safer that way."

"But we don't know Japanese," Costin pointed out.

"Learn it."

"And what if Marissa refuses to assist you?"

Alucard stopped in midstep, and looked back over his shoulder towards them. "That is not an option."

* * *

The small girl looked on as the black-clad man disappeared into the town. Though she hardly understood what was said, she did catch the words "Japan" and "Japanese," which gave her a good idea of where the tall man was headed. His rather dismissive tone seemed to indicate her presence wasn't welcome, which truly infuriated her. "_He's trying to ditch me!_" she thought to herself, an incensed pout on her young face. "_Stupid dhampir, I'll show _you _not to underestimate the genius of Yukari Sendo! Face it, it's gonna be you, and me. You're gonna need all the help you can get._" She then ducked behind some of the tombstones and quietly slipped out of the graveyard.

* * *

Tsukune continued to lie on the bed, unable to rise due to the heavy chains. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but he still vividly recalled the encounter with the mysterious girl, whose departure reminded him of Saint Germain, the stranger he first met in the Youkai Academy bathroom, whose words still confounded him at that moment.

He quickly shook if off, and examined his chained body. His eyes went wide as he saw his grievous injuries seemed all but healed, and he felt no pain from his nearly fatal escape from the castle. He wondered if it was simply a powerful self-regeneration, or if it occurred due to consuming Lilith's blood. He winced in pain as the succubus' voluptuous body appeared in his mind. He shook his head vigorously and strove to shake the image out of his mind, yet it seemed to remain. Even worse, he could feel himself getting aroused again as he recalled his last dream of her, and found himself longing for her presence once more.

With a pained growl and a strong exertion of his willpower, he managed to focus back on the task at hand. He quickly looked to the door, and wondered if he'd been heard. He waited for several tense moments, and heard nothing. He exhaled slowly, yet he felt no relief. "Is this what she meant," he asked himself, "about being marked by Lilith-san? That I _can't_ stop thinking about her?" He shivered where he laid, as he considered the ramifications of what he'd spoken. "Please, _please, _tell me this isn't what Kurumu-chan's destined to become."

He tightly shut his eyes, as he shuddered at the thought. Suddenly, an image of the cyan-haired teenager appeared in his mind, running in place as she laughed happily and waved to him. It didn't seem too uncharacteristic of his classmates, and then he saw her begin to grow taller as she ran, and her hair grew longer as well, freeing itself from her barrette. Moreover, her notorious bust also began to swell as it bounced expressively within her trademark yellow sweater, which was pushed outwards by its expansion, and the hem began to ride up her stomach. Her legs grew longer, and more desirable. After a moment she'd become as tall and curvaceous as her mother, which prompted a nosebleed from the bound teenager. Yet her growth continued, as her eyes all but met those of the beleaguered youth, her hair streamed down her sensuous back, and her breasts grew from large to downright massive, and became impossible ignore. "_**TSUKUNE!**_" the mental image cried out joyfully as she leaped forward and thrust her huge bosom into the brown-haired youth's face, which resulted in another sanguine geyser from his nostrils.

Tsukune exhaled warily, as he finally opened his eyes. He looked about the area, then quickly shook his head. "I-I don't have time for this," he spoke urgently to himself, "I need to get out of here." With a pained growl he struggled against the chains upon him, yet the heavy binds refused to yield. After several seconds, he fell back onto the bed, tired and frustrated by his lack of progress. A mournful sigh escaped him, as he looked past the ceiling. "Moka-san."

At that moment, a spectral image of a familiar woman with long silver hair materialized at the foot of the bed, clad in the traditional Youkai Academy uniform, and looking off towards a corner of the room. "_Remember, Tsukune,_" she began in an ethereal voice which resonated deep within his mind, "_a vampire's true power is not brute strength_." A dark crimson glow surrounded her, as she brought up her right fist. "_It is the ability to turn their demonic aura_, _into strength._"

As he looked on, her form began to grow taller, as well as more powerful. He watched as her back and shoulders grew wider, and her arms expanded within her jacket sleeves. She then raised her thickening arms, and held the back of her head. She arched her back slightly, as an enthralled moan escaped her. Once she did Tsukune could've seen her expanding bosom, which pushed the front of her blazer forward. His eyes went wide, as he could've imagined the amount of cleavage being shown at that juncture, which he desperately wanted to see, yet was denied because of her position. Her aura flipped up the back of her short skirt, which exposed her large swollen buttocks, barely contained by her white panties.

Once the transformation was complete, the apparition reached over seven feet high, with an immensely powerful yet also desirable form. Tsukune's breathing grew more rapid, as he felt the demonic power bursting with her statuesque form. It was the same power he felt during her impromptu transformation in the dungeon. But unlike the previous time, Moka's image showed no pain or sign of torment, but rather an alluring ecstasy. He watched as she lowered her hands, and placed them on her round hips. "This_ is the reason we transcend all other creatures,_" she finally spoke up as she looked over her shoulder, an intensely proud and sensuous smile on her face, "_and stand uncontested upon this world._"

Tsukune took in everything he'd seen and heard, and felt his spirits rising, among other things. "Yes," he said to himself, as he intensely longed for the apparition before him, "Moka-san, I knew you'd understand. I knew it!"

"_Now go, Tsukune, and show those fools the greatness of your power._" The silver-haired diva's image winked at him and then disappeared from sight, though not from the bound youth's memory.

The former academy student felt encouraged that his precious friend understood him. With that, the former academy student concentrated his youki, and channeled it into his muscles. A fierce crimson glow surrounded him, as he felt his power growing by the second, denoted by the expansion of his straining muscles. He struggled against the heavy chains, which slowly began to creak from his efforts. Finally, several of the links snapped, and the binds flew off his glowing body. With a triumphant laugh, he quickly sat up in bed, exuberant over the power coursing through his body. "At last I'm free," he spoke with dark exhilaration, "now nothing can stand in my way."

Suddenly, the sound of rushed footsteps came from behind the door, headed in his direction.

"Oh crap, I woke up that old man," he remarked with a chagrined look, as a sweatdrop ran down the side of his head. He then leaped off the bed and stopped near the bureau. He shoved it aside with his superhuman strength, and it crashed loudly onto the floor. He then leaped through the glass window, rolled across the ground, sprung up to his feet, and ran headlong towards the town gate, as angry shouts came from behind. As he passed through the gates, the air seemed to ripple around him, and he felt crackling demonic energy. With a pained cry, he pushed himself forward, and the strange phenomenon ceased.

Tsukune paused to catch his breath, as small crackles of youki shot around his body. "Was that, a barrier," he asked in between breaths. He looked behind him, and saw nothing but a thick expanse of trees beyond the end of the path he stood upon. He pushed his hand forward, then quickly pulled it back as he felt a fierce shock. He tried it two more times, with the same result. He looked to his hand, and saw small crackles of energy around it, coupled with smoke and a considerable amount of pain, which ceased after a few moments. He then remembered that he might've still been pursued, and quickly ran into the forest, away from the hidden village. "I can't go back," he spoke to himself, quite despondent by the fact. "Sorry, Senpai. Perhaps when Dracula is dead, we can be friends again."

* * *

The lone youth continued to run for several minutes, trying to put as much distance between him and the werewolves as possible. When he finally came to a stop, he bent over and placed his hands on his knees, winded from the endless running. He looked up from his vantage point, and saw himself deep within the forest. He looked in every direction, and saw nothing that looked like a trail, which troubled him greatly. He looked up, and shielded his eyes from the bright sun above him, which shone down through the thick expanse of trees.

"Am I, lost," he asked himself, troubled by the possibility. Another brief scan about the area revealed nothing but more trees, and the sound of wildlife. "Darn, I need to get higher." He saw a sturdy looking tree, so he sought to leap up and grab the long branch high above. However, no sooner than he left the ground that he found himself soaring above said branch and the entire tree in general, which made him cry out in surprise. He quickly summoned his youki, and stabilized his position before he fell back to earth.

Tsukune hovered in place, well above the treeline. "Okay, this is better," he said warily. He looked out into the distance, seeking the mountain range he found himself in when he escaped the castle. That told him Dracula's castle was settled upon a mountaintop. After a few moments, he saw a wide mountain range to the west, past the edge of the forest. "There," he spoke assuredly, "it must be there. Alright, all I need to do is find that castle, and I can put an end to this." He then clenched his fist, and solemnly closed his eyes. "And then, I can come back, to you, Moka-san. We'll be together, forever."

As he remained in mid-air, he soon felt a warm and familiar aura, coupled with a pair of slender yet powerful arms encircling his back. He opened his eyes, and saw an image of a silver-haired diva before him, affection and adoration in her shimmering ruby eyes. "_Forever,_" she spoke in a breathy voice, as she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and planted her soft lips on his own. Tsukune was unsurprisingly taken aback, but soon recovered and returned her affectionate gesture. He wrapped his own arms around her, and soon felt her embrace tightened noticeably, which pressed her exquisite torso firmly against his own.

After a few moments, the sensation stopped, and her aura disappeared. He looked ahead, and saw the vampire's image had faded from sight. Deep down he knew it wasn't the real Moka, yet it was exactly what he desired deep within his heart. "Yes," he said under his breath, "that is what Moka-san is like. Those fools could never understand her, understand us. But they will know," he continued resolutely as he looked towards the mountains ahead. "Yes, they will know."

Tsukune flew high above the forest, and quickly made his way into the mountain range. He would've found himself astounded by the majesty of the snow-topped peaks before him, which he'd never seen in Japan. However, he knew he hadn't time for sightseeing, and continued on his trek. The area seemed very serene during the day, yet he remembered how horrifying it appeared the previous night. He quickly looked about, and sensed no sign of Dracula's followers, nor of Alucard or the strange woman he'd mistaken for Ruby.

He looked down below, and saw a small cave nestled within the mountains. After a few more moments of flying, he saw what looked like a Western cathedral, which sat stop one of the smaller peaks. Though it piqued his interest, he knew it wasn't Dracula's castle, for he couldn't have sensed the sinister overlord's aura. However, its design seemed to indicate he definitely wasn't in Japan, for it didn't look the least bit Oriental. He quickly shook his head, and continued his flight over the mountains.

After a few more minutes, he soon caught sight of a very imposing peak, the summit concealed by what appeared to be a heavy fog bank. He tried to push his senses into the fog, but detected nothing, which he found disturbing. The more he looked at the concealed summit, the more suspicious he became. "Fog, during the day," he asked himself. After a few moments, he soon reached a conclusion. "There! He's in there!"

He streaked high above the peaks below, headed towards the suspicious summit. Suddenly, a hovering figure emerged from the fog bank, coupled with an unimaginable killing intent along with a hollow laugh. Tsukune gasped in shock, as he remembered the foul spirit from the previous day, whose deadly weapon was already reared back. "Colton!" the hybrid youth exclaimed, as he barely veered to the side. A blink of an eye later, his enemy's scythe came slashing down on his previous position.

The flying youth quickly tried to back away from his enemy, whose laughter chilled him to the very core. He watched as six miniature scythes appeared around the specter's ghastly form. He thrust forward with his main weapon, and the deadly blades streaked towards Tsukune. The former academy student quickly shot upwards, and the blades passed below him, missing by mere inches. "Blast you," Tsukune growled to himself, as he channeled his youki into his right hand. He thrust it forward, and unleashed a piercing beam of darkness at his opponent. Yet before the dark laser struck its target, the specter's form seemed to elongate and disappeared from sight. The beam continued down, and blasted a sizable crater in the mountains far below.

Tsukune blinked at the explosion, shocked by the destructive power he wielded. Suddenly, he felt a deadly aura behind him. He then saw a familiar blade positioned ahead of him. He quickly veered to the side as the blade was pulled back, and cut into his side. The brown-haired youth grimaced as he held his side, and felt the blood under his touch. "Darn it," he growled under his breath. Though he hated being injured, he knew if he hadn't dodged when he did, he easily could've been cut in half by the surprise attack. He turned to his enemy, his fangs bared in anger. He lashed out with a vicious backhanded blow, which the spectral entity avoided by drifting back. He then channeled his energy into his right hand, and then lunged forth with a devastating right cross, which released the stored energy. However, his opponent became translucent, and the blast harmlessly passed through. He channeled his energy again, flew forward and thrust his fist right towards his opponent's skeletal features. Yet before the inevitable impact resulted, the specter disappeared yet again, which prompted Tsukune to instinctively veer off to the side.

The brown-haired youth quickly looked about, frustrated that he hadn't landed a single blow on his enemy. He looked over his shoulder, and saw his enemy hovering fifteen feet behind him, his huge scythe in his bony hands. The former academy student growled as he glared at his adversary, his clenched fists shaking in anger and frustration. "Stand still so I can crush you!" he shouted indignantly, as he suspected his opponent was toying with him, which infuriated him further. A rising growl escaped him, as he concentrated his youki. He then thrust his hands forward and unleashed a relentless barrage of fireballs, an attack he acquired after he destroyed Kuyou. Unfortunately, the specter drifted out of the way of the oncoming assault. Tsukune adjusted his aim, and followed the elusive fiend as he streaked across the sky, as the oncoming fiery blasts narrowly missed him. The barrage went on for about thirty seconds before the former academy student became winded.

Tsukune paused to catch his breath, his frustration mounting by the second. He looked forth to his opponent, who hadn't spoken a word since their impromptu battle began. He then growled in anger, livid that his enemy had avoided practically all of his attacks. He then flew towards his adversary, and unleashed a thundering right cross, which was again avoided by his enemy. He then unleashed a series of punches and backhanded blows, none of which actually hit the transformed Colton. Tsukune flew in for another attack, but the specter moved to the side and jabbed the butt of his weapon right into the oncoming youth's stomach.

The brown-haired youth doubled over in pain, and held his injured ribs. And when he considered his previous velocity, he realized it made the impact much worse. As he was doubled over, he felt his enemy's aura had moved beside him. He looked to his left, and watched as the specter raised his weapon aloft, the blade aimed right at his neck. Tsukune quickly tumbled back in midair, as the decapitating blow came down a split second later.

The chagrined former student took a moment to right himself. He shivered momentarily from not only how close he'd come to death, but by the unearthly energy the scythe released when it was swung. He then saw his enemy headed towards him, his scythe reared back. He quickly backed away in midair as his opponent lunged forth with a vicious slash of his blade. He then dodged another slashing attack, which narrowly missed his neck. Fearfully Tsukune continued to avoid his enemy's blade, intimidated by the unmistakeable implement of death. After he dodged several more blows, he noticed a significant time lapse in between his opponent's attacks, which indicated he was slower than him. Tsukune avoided one more slash, rushed in and quickly caught Colton in a headlock. He then unleashed a barrage of blows onto his opponent's skull. After around ten such attacks, the specter's form elongated again and vanished. The confounded youth quickly looked about, and soon sensed his enemy had gotten behind him again. He didn't wait for his opponent's attack before he veered off to the left, and avoided any injuries in that instance.

He quickly turned back to his enemy, who'd strangely drifted back a good thirty feet. "_What is he up __to,_" the youth thought to himself. He watched as the gruesome entity slid the shaft of his weapon through his bony grasp, and caught the end with his right hand. He then reared back, and hurled the scythe at Tsukune with one hand. The oncoming weapon twirled like a saw blade as it neared its target. The hybrid youth quickly dodged to the side, and the blade passed by him without so much as a nick. He quickly looked back, and saw the blade careening into the distance. He then turned back to Colton, as a smirk crossed his features. "Ha, now he's defenseless!" With a primal scream, he streaked towards his enemy, his vengeful fist reared back. But as he thrust forth with his attack, he soon saw it caught in his opponent's skeletal grasp. His ire gave way to disbelief, shocked that his assault had been captured so easily. He then tried to follow up with his left fist, but soon found it caught as well. Frustrated, he concentrated his full youki, as an ebony and crimson aura surrounded his form. He used all of his demonic power to push Colton back, yet his unearthly foe stubbornly refused to yield. He screamed in rage and frustration, as veins popped out on his temples and arms.

"_Behind you!_" a familiar female voice spoke urgently within his mind.

Tsukune looked back, and saw Colton's scythe had changed course and was headed right for him. He gasped in horror as he finally learned his opponent's strategy. He turned back to his enemy and tried kicking at him, but soon learned his legs were too short to have reached his much larger adversary. Desperately,. He brought both legs up and drove his feet in his opponent's chest, which resulted in a pained groan. He repeated the process two more times, until the specter finally released him. Tsukune briefly looked back, saw the spinning blade closing in on him, and careened to the side. The unholy figure saw its weapon approaching him, brought his skeletal hand out to the side and then swiped across the air. No sooner than he did that Tsukune saw the scythe firmly in his grasp once more.

"Darn it!" the frustrated youth exclaimed, incensed that his own strategy had failed. He then looked on as the transformed Colton held out his scythe, and began twirling it before him with one hand. The spinning motions were soon replaced by swirling black energy. "Oh shoot," the teenager remarked in chagrin, and quickly backed away at an angle, as a huge torrent of miniature scythes shot forth from the dark vortex. "_**HELP ME, MOKA-SAN!**_" he cried out in desperation as he flew away from his opponent and the ominous peak at top speed.

* * *

Death ceased his attack, and watched as his would-be opponent desperately tried to flee. Even though he was disappearing into the mountains, his energy mirrored his panicked state, which betrayed his position. The right hand of Dracula knew it would've been a simple matter to tracked down the frightened youth. Since he'd exited the protective barrier of the lycans, there was nothing concealing his aura, so his capture would've been a matter of time.

"_**Foolish child,**_" the specter began in an almost pitying voice as he rested the shaft of his weapon against his shoulder, "_**if you only knew who was **_**helping **_**you. Then perhaps you'd realize your folly.**_" He knew exactly who'd helped Tsukune escape the castle, as well as foiled his capture the previous day. He was uncertain about his enemy's reasons in assisting the youth, since his destiny conflicted with his mysterious benefactor's true purpose. The twin pinpricks in his otherwise empty sockets narrowed suspiciously, as he knew the matter had become more complicated than he'd anticipated.

Suddenly, he felt his opponent's aura seemed to have vanished again, though he was certain the vessel was still within the mountain range. "_**No matter, regardless of where in this world you attempt to flee, **_**I will find you.**" He chuckled lowly, which soon rose into maniacal laughter, which echoed all the way over the horizon.

* * *

Oh crap! Man is he in a pickle this time. Will Tsukune be able to avoid his unearthly adversary? Will anyone find him before he does? And just what awaits Ruby, as well as Moka, at Kaoku no Keiji?

"A shortcut to me? Maybe? Hopefully? Man, this is harder than it looks."

You ain't seen nothing yet. Anyway tune in next time for Part II Chapter XVII Struggle Against Fate


	23. Part II Chapter XVII

A/N Hello, everyone. I apologize for the overly long delay, got sidetracked by a lot of other things, including a failed fanfic, which proved to be a painful learning experience. Regardless, I've returned with the next chapter of our exciting story.

"About time! I was starting to get cobwebs here!"

"For once I agree with the breast girl."

"Same here, desu! So let's get back to Super Tsukune wasting all the bad guys, marrying Moka-san and myself, and living happily ever after!"

"And what are the rest of us supposed to do, go home and write our memoirs?"

"You're getting way ahead of yourself you flat-chested flake."

"I'll always be ahead of you, you narcissistic boob freak!"

"Hey! Simmer down, girls, we have to get back to the story."

"Fine by me, as long as I get my big scene with you, Tsukune."

Oh boy, seems things haven't really changed during my overly long hiatus. Anyway, before things get any more inane, I do not own either Rosario + Vampire or Castlevania, they are the licensed properties of their licensed owners. And so, without further ado, on with the show.

"_CAPU CHUUUUU!_"

Part II Chapter XVII  
Struggle Against Fate

Kurumu found herself surrounded by an impenetrable darkness. She looked in every direction, and found she couldn't have sensed anything around her. She brought up her hands, and found she couldn't have even seen them. Moreover, she realized she couldn't have felt her own body, which made her breathing significantly more nervous. "Where am I," she asked fearfully, "where is everyone?" She tried to recall what happened previously, and only recalled agonized screams and incomprehensible power. "Did we, die? Am I dead?"

"_No, Kurumu-chan,_" a soft male voice spoke up.

Before the cyan-haired girl could've responded, she felt two strong arms wrapped around her, which made her gasp in surprise. One around her shoulders and the other encircling her midriff. Yet instead of crushing her, the unseen limbs held her gently, almost protectively. Her anxiety slowly melted away, as she realized it was how she'd always wanted to be held.

"_There's no need to be afraid, Kurumu-chan,_" the same voice continued. "_Even if you're all alone in the darkness, I'll be here with you. I'll protect you from anyone who'd threaten you or your dreams._"

A warm blush came over her features, as the words seems to come from within her own heart. She knew there were only a handful of people who were knowledgeable of her secret ambitions. She turned her head, and saw only a shadowed figure behind her, its features completely concealed by the darkness. She had an inkling of who it could've been, but knew it could've also been a ruse. And when she considered who they were up against, she knew she wouldn't have put it past them. Several moments past, as she mustered the courage to have addressed the figure behind her. "Tsukune," she asked in an uncertain voice.

"_Yes, Kurumu-chan. I haven't forgotten what you told me, and I'll help make it happen._"

The incognito succubus felt herself touched by his words, which she'd wanted to hear for over a year. The image of his tanned face, his unruly brown hair and matching eyes, which were filled with affection and understanding, appeared in her mind. And though she still couldn't have seen him with her eyes, her heart remembered his image perfectly, and she began to melt in his embrace.

As she was lost in her train of thought, she felt a strong hand upon her chest, which made her shiver in joy. She knew it was Tsukune's hand upon her bosom, and also knew it wasn't the first time. Although the previous instances could've deemed coincidental, the gentle caresses that followed the current time told her it was deliberate, which she'd always wanted. As she moaned in pleasure, his free hand caressed her stomach. She moaned to herself, as she welcomed the warm touches on her voluptuous body. And silently, she came to agree with him. Even though she was alone in the darkness, she felt safe with him by her side.

"_I'm sorry, Kurumu-chan,_" the youth's voice spoke within her heart, "_you've tried so hard, you wanted to give yourself to me, and I ignored you. But no longer,_" he went on, as the hand that caressed the incognito succubus' abdomen went lower still, which elicited an enthralled moan from her. "_Whatever __you want to give me, I'll take it._"

"Oh, Tsukune," the shorter girl replied, as her violet eyes rolled up into her head, and she felt herself becoming lost in ecstasy from her Destined One's caresses.

"_I'll take whatever you want to give, and I'll give you what _you_ want._"

Kurumu felt a warm kiss on the side of her neck, which made her inhale sharply. The caresses to her bosom and lower abdomen became more pleasurable, and she moaned in sheer delight. "Oh Tsukune," she spoke breathlessly, her coherence waning by the moment. It was even better than she'd imagined, the solitude only seemed to magnify the experience. Deep down, she knew she couldn't have wanted anything more.

"_We'll save your people,_" the figure spoke in a reassuring voice, "_together._"

Kurumu felt his hand go even lower, and knew exactly where he'd planned to touch. A second later, his hand pressed tightly against her, and the succubus felt an indescribably powerful youki infusing her body. Though she was more than a bit startled, the exhilaration she felt transcended her ability to have described. "_**TSUKUNE!**_" she screamed in elation, as her entire being was overwhelmed with ecstasy.

Once it passed, she felt her legs buckling, though her Destined One adjusted his grip on her midriff and prevented her collapse. She panted heavily for several seconds, her cyan bangs falling into her eyes. She knew what had just occurred, and though it wasn't what she'd been taught at school and by her mother, the exhilaration she experienced made it undeniable.

As she strove to regain her bearing, another sensuous jolt shot through her lower abdomen, which took her completely off guard. The sensation passed after a few seconds, and was replaced by an unfamiliar warmth. Her hand went to her stomach, and she felt a distinct firmness. She delicately pressed against it three more times, and got the same results. She immediately looked over her shoulder, fear and uncertainty in her violet eyes. "Tsukune, am I," she asked timidly, though deep down she already knew the answer.

"_Yes Kurumu, and I'll be here for you, for all of you, until the end of time,_" the figure spoke in the same kind voice, as he placed his hand against the swell in her abdomen.

The succubus shivered in response, as she couldn't have denied her nervousness about the situation. Yet the feel of his hand against her stomach made her feel more secure, and her anxiety waned considerably. She sighed in relief, and a warm blush came to her cheeks as she smiled fondly at him. "Oh Tsukune." She placed her own hand upon his, as the warmth within her meticulously began to build. Though she was still practically blind, she knew the swell in her stomach had grown significantly. And yet she felt no pain or discomfort, which made her love Tsukune even more.

"_From your womb our children shall came forth,_" he continued, and he caressed her stomach.

Kurumu moaned in pleasure, and she could've felt the life slowly growing within her. It radiated with the same energy that had infused her earlier, which told her their child would've been strong, as well as healthy. She became lost in the experience, as she imagined how their baby would've looked once she was born.

"_**And they shall feast on the souls of the worms who dare oppose me,**_" the man spoke in a radically different voice.

The cyan-haired girl gasped, as her eyes went wide from what she'd just heard. She quickly looked back, and saw not the kind face of Tsukune Aono, but a pale twisted visage, with a maniacal glean in his glowing red eyes. A ravenous smile crossed his face, which exposed his elongated incisors. She watched as he reared his head back, and then drove his fangs into the soft flesh of her neck. Kurumu screamed in agony as she felt her vitae being drained.

* * *

The voluptuous teenager awoke with a scream, as she found herself trembling from the nightmare she'd endured. She instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, still in shock after what she'd just experienced, for it reminded of the warning Lilith gave her but days before. "No, no this can't be," she said to herself, desperately trying to deny what she'd experienced. She protectively held her stomach, as well as her neck. And though she felt no evidence of what she'd experienced in her dream, she was far from assured. The fear and uncertainty within her was too overwhelming to have dismissed so easily. "Blast," she whispered in an enraged hiss, "I can't believe I- I fell for his charms." A frustrated exhale escaped her, and soft features were marred by a bitter scowl. "Just like, Lilith-sama."

"Hey, you alright," a soft voice asked from nearby, coupled with a cold yet familiar presence.

Kurumu looked to her left with a startled gasp, and saw a purple-haired girl kneeling beside her. She was clad in the same hoodie and striped stockings that had always been synonymous with her, along with the nigh unreadable expression on her pale features. "Mizore-chan," she spoke in a small voice.

"It's okay, I'm here now."

"Oh Mizore," the cyan-haired girl replied, and hugged the yuki onna. "I-I thought we were all gonna die."

"Me too, didn't expect to get ambushed back there."

The cyan-haired girl continued to shiver, amazed that her classmate could've been so blasé about a life-threatening situation. But as she thought about it, she knew Mizore had almost always referred to every situation in such a manner.

"Kurumu," the yuki onna spoke up, which quickly got her attention, "are you sure you're alright?"

The incognito succubus quickly broke away, wrapped her arms around herself and turned completely around. "I-I'm fine," she spoke in a stammering voice, still shaken by her nightmare. She was even more startled that her classmate had referred to her by name, which was rare for her.

"Okay, if you say so," the purple-haired girl spoke behind her, "just don't get too stressed out okay," she continued in a voice that sounded far too happy. "Wouldn't be good for anyone," the yuki onna concluded, as she placed her left hand on her friend's shoulder, and then lightly patted her stomach.

"H-h-h-hey!" Kurumu protested, as she leaped to her feet, spun around, and covered her midsection. "W-what do you think you're doing, stalker?"

"Who me," the yuki onna asked with an infuriating smile, "nothing, nothing at all. Just wondering how it happened? Have a secret friend we don't know about?"

"_**NO!**_" the cyan-haired girl screamed in response. "Stop giving me that look, Mizore! I just had a bad dream, nothing more! You're looking too deeply into this!"

"Am I? I dunno," the sophomore remarked as she examined her classmate, "you have a real glow about you today."

"_**SHUT UP!**_"

Suddenly, a booming laugh echoed around them, which bounced off the walls of their current location. "My," a bellowing gruff voice began, "aren't you two lively today. And here I thought Diaz-san wasn't into little girls, heh, just when you think you know a guy."

Kurumu growled in response, and brought up her clenched fists. "I know that voice," she spoke with a scathing look.

Mizore hummed in response, and she furrowed her brow as she looked about the area. They found themselves in a large cavernous chamber, with a high ceiling overhead. The hard cement floor was covered in debris, and the remains of what appeared to be a human transport lied ten feet away. The vehicle was comprised of three elongated sections, and was clearly in disuse. A wide flight of stairs went up from their position to a higher landing, where several abandoned stands were seen.

At that moment, the sound of heavy footsteps came from the shadows, and from them emerged an enormous figure. He was easily twice as tall as an average human, clad in a blue student's uniform, which was opened to reveal his wool undershirt. His slicked back brown hair went down to the bottom of his neck, and he had a cocky smile on his expanded features. "Well, it'll be good for one thing," the huge man remarked with a smirk, "it'll definitely put some boobs on you." He leaned his head back, and emitted a gale of uproarious laughter.

"_AAAHHH!_" the incognito succubus screamed with a terrified look. "It is that perverted frog again! What the hell are you doing here, Tubba Blubba?"

"Hey, watch your mouth little girl!" the corpulent figure shot back, his smile replaced by an annoyed scowl. "And I'm not a frog, I'm an umibozu! Awa no Umibozu for your information."

"I don't care what your name is, just for making those rude comments about me I'm gonna pound you even worse than I did last time!"

A giddy laugh, which sounded like that of a monkey rather than a human, came from behind the massive figure. A split second later, a much smaller being leaped onto the huge man's shoulder, clad in a similar uniform and with a bowl-shaped haircut. "What a noisy one we have here," the newcomer remarked with an amused grin, "and you're claiming you defeated Awa-san? You're really funny, you know that? Maybe your head's still fuzzy after last night, I've heard that happens to people in your situation." He then chuckled merrily to himself.

"_**I AM NOT PREGNANT!**_" the cyan-haired girl screamed at the top of her lungs, as her patience wore dangerously thin.

At that moment, a dark chuckle came from nearby. They looked down the tunnel, and watched as a slender man emerged from the darkness, with long gray hair that fell over his left eye, and clad in the same blue student's attire. "Such entertaining guests we have today," he mused with a thin smile, "though it would be best if you lowered your voices. We are in seclusion, after all."

"What do you mean," Mizore asked with a suspicious look as she got into a defensive stance. "What happened to your plans to take over the country?"

"Take over," the smallest of the trio asked, and then laughed to himself, "you must be joking. It's tough enough to survive with the Black Devil on the loose."

"The what," Kurumu asked with a startled look. "What is the Black Devil?"

"You honestly don't know," the gray-haired newcomer asked with a curious look. "Hmm, it might be better if you didn't, you'll live longer that way."

"Yeah," the huge man interjected, "so don't worry your pretty little head. You and your little one will be **just** fine." He laughed again in delight.

"Alright, that's it!" The disguised youkai unsheathed her claws, and revealed her wings and tail. "_**YOU'RE MEATLOAF!**_" she screamed, as she took to the air and streaked towards her target, her claws reared back in a striking position.

"I don't think so!" the large man interjected, and he reared back with his left fist and smashed it into the oncoming succubus' face. The force of the blow sent her flying back, and she smashed into the abandoned vehicle, making a huge dent in the side and destroying several windows in the process.

The smallest of the trio leaped off his shoulder, and hopped up and down, and laughed in demented glee. "That's it, Awa-san! Swat that annoying girl like the fly that she is."

"Leave it to me, Iyo-san," the huge man replied, as his supposedly human guise faded. His hair and ears disappeared, and his skin turned a greenish hue. His undershirt disappeared, as did his shoes, the latter revealing webbed feet. "I'm gonna fix her wagon!"

The monkey-like individual cackled in response. "Come out, everyone!" he called out behind him. "We've got a rumble on our hands!"

Almost on cue, several rough-looking teenagers in similar uniforms quickly ran into the room, and stopped near the boy. They looked ahead, and saw the chaotic scene near the edge of the landing. "Yeah!" a rowdy boy called out. "Crush her, Awa-sama!"

"Toast her, Sankui-sama!" a second youth added.

"Kurumu!" the yuki onna called out. She then noticed the crowd gathering close to her, and realized the rest of the gang had become aware of their presence. She took note of it, and then turned back towards the felled succubus. But before she could headed towards her, a wall of flame shot before her and blocked her path. She watched as the wall formed a large flaming circular barrier. She looked back, and saw the gray-haired man's hair had turned white, which she remembered happened when he assumed his true form.

"I wouldn't suggest that if I were you," he began with a dark smirk, "unless you think you can escape my fire trap."

"_So hot,_" Mizore thought to herself as she was subjected to the overly heated area. Without another thought, her eyes glowed an arctic color and she sent forth a huge blast of intense coldness around her. It collided with her opponent as well as the barrier, which reacted violently to the assault. Frost began to form on the man's shoulders and legs, but then a blazing aura surrounded him which vaporized all the forming moisture. Moreover, the barrier repelled her assault and became stable again. "What," the purple-haired girl asked with a surprised look.

Her opponent merely chuckled in response. "Sorry to disappoint you, but Sankui no Shiranui won't be bested so easily."

"_Man, he's stronger than he was last time_," the sophomore thought to herself, as sweat formed on her forehead. "_In that case, I'd better finish this quick._" She transformed her hands into icy claws, and her hair became crystalline in color.

"Oh my," the flame youkai remarked with an impressed look, "a yuki onna? I thought you were all dead."

"What's that supposed to mean," the transformed Mizore demanded with uncharacteristic fierceness.

"If you really want to know, then defeat me."

The crystal-haired girl furrowed her brow, and focused on the task at hand.

Kurumu groaned wearily as she laid on her posterior, as she vigorously shook her head. She cursed herself for getting lured into their trap. Though his attack strength didn't fall into the S-class, her collision with the abandoned vehicle proved exceedingly painful.

As she regained her bearings, she felt the floor shuddering beneath her, which told the succubus that her opponent was closing in on her. She looked up, and saw the huge youkai had gotten within striking distance of her. Once she saw him raised his webbed foot, she immediately rolled to the side. She then pulled in her claws, placed the flat of her hand on the cement floor, and swung her right leg around into the back of his pudgy leg. She noticed his leg gave way slightly, and he groaned in pain,which told her the attack was effective. She kicked him three more times in the back of the leg with similar results. But on the next one, she found her leg grabbed, and cringed at the watery touch on her limb. She then felt herself picked up, and held upside down off the floor, her face towards her opponent.

The huge youkai laughed aloud, elated as he'd gained the advantage. "You didn't think that would work forever, did you," he asked with a cocky smirk as he grabbed her other leg. "Maybe I should make a wish."

Kurumu grimaced as she felt her limbs being painfully forced apart. As she struggled to have avoided screaming, an idea came to her. She used her arms and shoulders to swing her entire torso back and forth. Once she got within range, she thrust her claws into his legs, which made her captor scream in pain. He soon lost his grip, and the succubus quickly scampered away.

The cyan-haired girl regained her footing, and saw her opponent favoring his legs, a pained expression on his inhuman features. "You're gonna pay for that!" he snapped angrily, as a malefic aqua aura appeared around him. Kurumu watched nervously as he reared back with his right hand, which became covered by a small watery sphere. "_**HYDRO FIST!**_" the huge youkai shouted as he thrust forward with a right cross, which sent forward a powerful blast of water at the succubus. The former academy student barely dodged the attack, which grazed her side and part of her wing, yet still stung regardless. The sophomore quickly realized she should've avoided a direct hit, as it would've been devastating. She quickly saw the opportunity to have tested her newfound wisdom, as her aquatic adversary reared back for another attack. She leaped into the air as another water cannon surged towards her former position. She flew near the ceiling and began to dive towards her opponent. He fired off two more shots, but the succubus deftly avoided them. Kurumu saw him rearing back for a third attack, and began to tumble in midair towards him. And just before he could've unleashed it, she drove both of her knees into his face, which made him stagger painfully. His wounded legs made his movements even more agonizing.

"Ha! You're finished, frogface!" the succubus exclaimed.

"Think again!" her opponent retorted, and Kurumu felt his huge hands on her sides. Before she could've reacted, she felt herself lifted high overhead, and then slammed hard onto the unforgiving concrete floor, which made her scream in agony.

Mizore ran desperately across the enclosed area, as her opponent unleashed a barrage of fireballs from his fingertips. She heard her friend's scream, along with the cheers of the rest of the gang, and knew her situation had become even more dire. "_This isn't good,_" she thought to herself, "_if I keep fighting in this fire trap, I'll melt._" She quickly regained her bearings, and saw herself being driven dangerously close to the wall of flame. She leaped into the air, and the blazing wall actually rose up with her.

"It is no use," the sinister man proclaimed, "there's no escape from my flames."

"Then I'll just have to douse them," the yuki onna replied, as she concentrated her youki. "_**ICE GLACIERS!**_" she shouted, as she thrust her hands towards the fire youkai. A slew of large icy stalagmites arose from the floor, headed straight for him.

"Ha! This won't stop me!" He reared back with both hands, and unleashed a seething beam of flame into the oncoming attack. And though they stopped in their tracks, they weren't vaporized as he'd clearly expected. As he focused on his task, Mizore dropped down behind him, and encased his legs in ice. Sankui no Shiranui looked behind him, and soon realized what had occurred. "No!" he cried out, which caused him to lose his concentration. His lapse caused the icy wave he'd previously been holding off to rush forth and smash into him with an immense freezing force. He found himself bowled onto the concrete floor, and tumbled back repeatedly. Though instead of passing through the wall of flame, it acted as a barrier that stopped his momentum.

Mizore exhaled heavily, as sweat poured down her forehead. "Man, he's a lot tougher than before."

The fire youkai groaned he pulled himself to his feet, frozen patches on his uniform. "Very impressive, my dear, but I'm not finished yet."

Kurumu groaned as she remained on the floor, her whole body jarred from the crushing impact. She barely managed to raise her head, and saw her humongous opponent several meters from her.

"That was pretty good," the aquatic youkai commented with a smirk, "but this fight is over." He got a running start, and then leaped into the air with agility that was uncommon for a creature his size. He raised his legs up, and a sphere of water formed around him.

The succubus grimaced in horror, as she realized how he planned to have landed on her. "Oh no, oh no! That fat blob is not sitting on me!" she declared through her pain, scared and disgusted by her adversary's plan of attack.

"_**UMIBOZU CRUSH!**_" the green-skinned youkai shouted as he began his descent.

The cyan-haired girl grimaced, as she strove to have mentally overcome her pain, which reminded her of some of her battles against Inner Moka. "No," she growled to herself, as the image of the daiyoukai appeared in her mind, along with the bad dream she's suffered back the academy, "no! I won't lose, I won't lose Tsukune," she went on, as she mustered her demonic strength, "_**TO YOU!**_" She barely rolled out of the way, as her gargantuan opponent crashed down behind her. A huge tidal wave erupted from the impact, which doused Kurumu along with everything around him.

The succubus began to pull herself to her feet, drenched from the crushing attack. Though her body was still shaken from the crushing impacts she'd endured, she still sought to fight against her old foe.

"Yo!" a strong male voice called out, which echoed throughout the cavernous chamber. Kurumu turned around, and saw a throng of the old gang on the landing, shocked expressions on their faces as they looked behind them. "This a private party," the same voice spoke up, "or can anyone join?"

"Diaz-san," one of the unruly youths spoke in awe, which was repeated by several others. The gang began to move aside, as the sound of measured footsteps came from behind them.

"Diaz-san," the fire youkai's voice exclaimed.

The cyan-haired girl turned towards the voice, and watched as the wall of flame dissipated, which revealed a familiar youkai, panting from obvious exhaustion. "Mizore-chan!" she cried out, as she ran to her former classmate's side. "Mizore-chan, are you alright?"

"So... hot," the yuki onna weakly replied.

"Hold on," the succubus replied, as she supported her friend's slender form. She helped her away from the still-heated area, and back towards she'd fought her old nemesis. "Here," she said as she laid her down on the damp floor, "this should help, a little bit anyway."

The ice youkai sighed in relief at the dampness beneath her. "Ah, nice cold water."

The cyan-haired girl smiled as her friend looked more at ease. "Anything for you, Mizore-chan." It was then that the footsteps came to a stop. She looked to her right, and saw a tall man standing atop the landing, his thick arms crossed over his barrel chest. A simple jean jacket graced his powerful form, the sleeves removed which revealed his deep purple T-shirt underneath. He wore somewhat faded blue jeans, and light brown work boots on his feet. He also wore an indecipherable expression on his rugged features.

"_Man,_" Kurumu thought to herself, "_who _is_ that guy? His aura, it's way beyond those posers we just fought._"

"Ah, Cruz-san!" the simian-like youth exclaimed joyously as he regarded the newcomer. "These kids were being awfully rude, so we were teaching them a lesson in good manners."

"This is your idea of a lesson," the newcomer asked with an upraised eyebrow as he turned to him.

The smaller being hummed uncomfortably, seemingly unable to respond at that juncture.

The newcomer then turned back to the others, specifically the white-haired man and the huge aquatic being. "Lesson's over," he announced sternly. "Iyo, get her some water. She needs it."

"Right away, Cruz-san." He quickly scurried away into the shadows.

The stranger groaned to himself as he made his way down the stairs. "Haven't I told you guys not to get too excited down here," he asked in a longsuffering tone. "Don't you remember what happened to Tosa?"

The gray-haired man groaned in response, as his beady eyes went wide. "O-o-of course, we haven't forgotten! We won't let the Black Devil find our sanctuary."

"Just who is this Black Devil," the sophomore asked curiously, though her expression didn't change.

Before she could've gotten a response, her opponent rose slightly and nailed her in the back with a smashing blow. The succubus was knocked forward, and the sudden movement strained the front of her blouse, which promptly burst open. She instinctively covered her front, embarrassed by what had just happened. She looked ahead ashamedly, and saw the strange man rubbing his face. She felt around her blouse, and felt several buttons were missing. It didn't take her long to have discerned what just occurred, which made her even more ashamed.

"Oh, yeah," the man commented in a nonplussed tone, "now I remember."

* * *

_A dark-haired man walked through the forest outside the academy limits, carrying a large net filled with fish over his shoulder. He was headed back towards his campsite, where three girls eagerly looked to him as he approached. The first girl had long cyan hair, done up in a ponytail. She wore a simple short-sleeved blouse, which strained to confine her large bosom, and a pink pleated skirt. The second wore a similar attire, but had long silvery ice blue hair, and an unreadable expression in her eyes, along with a lollipop in her mouth. The third had shoulder length dirty blonde hair, and a pair of reading glasses on the end of her delicate nose. He would've felt more comfortable had there been another man in the group, yet the only candidate backed out due to the company of his group, which left him alone with three teenage female youkai. Privately he wondered if he was being punished by whatever power ruled the world. Upon reflection he felt it might've been the case since he initially thought attending the school was a more merciful fate than prison. But after a few months he'd begun to have his doubts on the matter._

_Without another word, he sat down on a tree stump and began cleaning the fish, the first step towards preparing the meal for everyone. Granted he had enough to have fed at least twenty people, when he considered the company he kept, he thought it better to have had too much food rather than not enough. In the midst of his labor, he felt a presence nearby. Though since it radiated no malicious intent, he kept his mind on the task at hand. As he did, three fish were swiped from the net, and two malicious intents were felt._

"_Just what do you think you're doing," an irritated female voice asked, coupled with what resembled the sound of a sword being unsheathed._

"_Stealing from Diaz-san," another female voice inquired, calm malice in her tone followed by the sound of forming ice, "perhaps you'd like to be crushed _and _cubed."_

_A third female voice was heard, mewing in chagrin. It became obvious that the other two were threatening her for pilfering from the bounty._

"_Yo," the man called out, which got everyone's attention. "Back off, she likes fish." He then turned towards the three girls, and saw the blonde trapped by her compatriots, who both had their claws unsheathed and aimed at vital areas of her body. The cornered youkai was shaking, and had three fish in her guilty hands. "That a crime?"_

_The more buxom of the trio pouted in response. "You're letting her off too easy," she grumbled, then shook her head as she pulled back her claws._

"_Ha, you're too kind, Diaz-san," the catlike girl replied joyously, as she went off to partake in her meal._

_The cyan-haired girl sniffed disdainfully, and crinkled her nose in response. "What a bother, no matter, I need to think about how to win Gonzo-kun over."_

_The man cleaning the fish raised an eyebrow as he regarded her. "Isn't he taken?"_

"_That is but a temporary inconvenience!" his classmate snapped unexpectedly. "One I intend to correct in short order!" _

"_You've already failed with flying colors," her associate interjected._

"_Don't start with me, stalker! All I need is to woo Gonzo-kun with my unmatched feminine charms. With my radiant face, my luscious lips, my bodacious breasts, yeah baby I've _**got it!**_" she declared with a forceful thrust of her large bosom. Said motion caused several buttons to fly off her blouse, and right into the nonplussed countenance of Diaz Cruz. The usually reserved man groaned to himself as he absently rubbed his face._

"_You're gonna get it alright, boobs for brains," the pale-skinned girl spoke menacingly as she produced her ice claws._

"_Bring it on, snow cone head! I'll make ice cubes out of your hide!"_

_The rest of the conservation degenerated into pointless bickering and threats, which the longsuffering individual on the tree stump did his best to ignore.  
_

* * *

Diaz Cruz groaned to himself, still embarrassed by the reminder of his past. "I can't believe those two actually had kids," he said flatly. He shook his head in disbelief as he regarded the two female youkai. "At least they're more modest than their mothers." He groaned yet again, as he desperately wanted to have forgotten Ageha and Tsurara's antics at school.

"You knew Kaa-san," the cyan-haired girl asked, as she desperately held the front of her blouse closed, much to the man's relief.

"You could say that," he replied in an offhand manner. He undid the buttons on his sleeveless jacket, and pulled the garment off his shoulders. "Here," he spoke up as he offered his raiment, "looks like you could use it."

"Um," the succubus spoke up in a small voice, as she tentatively took the garment, "thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"Back!" Iyo's voice called out from behind.

Diaz looked over his shoulder, and saw the Zashiki-warashi reappeared atop the landing, a large jug of water on his shoulder. "Perfect timing, hook her up."

"On it!" The diminutive figure quickly headed to the yuki onna, and offered the water jug. "Here you go."

"You're, too kind," the purple-haired girl replied cautiously. She then removed the stopper, and took a large drink.

The incognito succubus gave her a relieved yet also cautious look. Diaz glanced at her, and privately wondered if they'd encountered the displaced street gang before. He knew if they had, he hadn't been informed of the encounter, so he planned to have a long talk with them later. The last thing he needed was his cohorts inadvertently announcing the location of their hideout.

"So," the cyan-haired girl asked as she slipped the comparatively large jacket over her shoulders, "what are you doing down here? Not just that, what are _we_ doing down here? And just what is this place?"

The man hummed to himself, not surprised by their confusion. Especially when he considered how they first arrived, he was amazed they were still in one piece after their crash landing. "You can call this, a safe haven for youkai," he began as he walked past her, "not many left these days. Especially since _that person_ moved into the area. Getting really hard for youkai to hide under the radar." He stopped before the huge man who was still on his knees. "Especially when _some people_ get out of hand. You're lucky that person's out of town, or we'd have real trouble. Remember, Tosa?"

The corpulent being groaned in chagrin as he looked fearfully at the powerful man before him.

"What happened to that guy, anyway," the yuki onna inquired.

The gray-haired man sighed to himself as his expression became somber. "Tosa no Tengu is dead, he bravely held off the Black Devil so we could escape, though it was the last thing he ever did."

The purple-haired girl's mouth hung open, which meant she was shocked by the news. Suddenly, the jewel on her circlet glowed with a piercing arctic hue, and she cried out in pain and collapsed.

"_**MIZORE-CHAN!**_" Kurumu cried out as she knelt down beside her.

* * *

Mizore opened her eyes again, and beheld a nightmarish landscape before her. Familiar buildings burned around her, coupled with agonized screams which pierced her heart. "is-is this, my home," she asked, as she barely recognized her village, which seemed to have been under siege. "No, no it can't be!"

An older yuki onna fled from the carnage, clad in the traditional snow white kimono that all her people wore, her purple hair flowing behind as she wore a look of sheer terror on her pale face. From the shadows shot a seething beam of flame, which directly struck the woman in the back. She screamed in sheer agony as her kimono instantly caught flame and her body slowly melted, leaving but a puddle and scorched rags behind.

The sophomore couldn't help but scream, terrified by the indescribably powerful youki, along with the seething hatred within it. Rarely had she felt herself so gripped with fear, which told her that the one hidden in the shadows wasn't an enemy she could've faced alone.

"Run-run for your lives!" another woman's voice cried out. Mizore turned, and saw three more women streak past her, headed straight for the palace. What truly startled her was one of the villagers had actually run through her, without any form of collision. She barely had a chance to have registered it when a huge gout of flame erupted from the shadows, and consumed the three women, who made the same fate as their fellow villager did earlier.

"No, no!" Mizore uttered helplessly, horrified by what she'd witnessed. She knew their numbers were already few, and feared the whole village could've been destroyed if the assault wasn't stopped. She couldn't help but shiver, as the thought being alone gripped her young heart, and brought tears to her arctic eyes.

Suddenly, an immensely powerful aura appeared behind her. Though she also felt a murderous intent, she could've sensed it was kept in check, and aimed solely at the insidious being still hidden in the shadows. She looked back, and saw a regal woman behind her, clad in a resplendent purple robe. Her crystal-colored air was done in six ponytails, and she wore a familiar tiara upon her furrowed brow. "Priestess-sama," the yuki onna uttered, as she recognized the leader of her people.

"So you've come, Black Devil," the powerful ruler spoke fearlessly, "come to indulge your unholy desires. But you shall go no further, I shall personally douse the flames of your vengeance this night."

Mizore was about to have called out to her, but then remembered the other villagers were unaware of her, and feared her ruler might've been the same. As he pondered the issue, the sound of destruction came from behind her. She looked back, as the crumbling houses finally burned to the ground. From them emerged a blackened figure, whose features were indeterminable, yet the murderous intent it radiated seemed limitless.

As she looked on in terror, the village elder walked through her apparently insubstantial form, and confronted the insidious figure before them. "Priestess-sama," she spoke helplessly, as she wondered if even the legendary youkai could've stood up against the hellish incarnation before them. The crystal-haired figure stopped, and looked over her shoulder towards Mizore, who was startled that she could've seen her.

"My child," the Snow Priestess began gravely, "do not forget what you have seen here. Once the battle has ended, return to me. There is much you need to know."

Mizore couldn't help but watch as her spiritual leader turned back to the blackened figure, and slowly raised her hands out by her sides. As she did her colossal youki manifested around her, as evidenced by the howling snowstorm that surrounded her majestic form. Her opponent did the same, as the flames around her blazed with even greater intensity. The yuki onna gasped in shock, fearful for the outcome of the impending clash. "_**PRIESTESS-SAMA!**_" she cried our in terror.

* * *

The purple-haired girl awoke with a start, her heart pounding almost painfully in her chest. She nervously looked about the area, as she struggled to have gotten her breathing under control.

"Mizore-chan!" a girl's voice cried out, followed by a strong embrace. "Mizore-chan, are you alright?"

She looked to her left, and saw her classmate beside her, a worried expression on her young face. "Hey," she replied simply.

The incognito succubus exhaled ruefully. "Mizore-chan, don't scare me like that," she remarked as she bowed her head, which caused her cyan bangs to fall into her eyes. "I don't want to lose you, too."

"Hey, I'm not goin' anywhere," the yuki onna replied, trying to sound calm despite what she'd just seen. "What would you do without me?"

The former academy student shook her head, groaning to herself.

The purple-haired girl placed her right hand upon her knee, got her feet back under her and then arose, which made her classmate to the same. She looked around the area, and saw the street gang looking at her warily, along with the man whom they seemed to regard as their new leader. "We need to go," she said simply as she turned back to her fellow student.

"Go," Kurumu asked with an alarmed look, "go where?"

"To my village, the Snow Priestess has summoned me."

The incognito succubus gasped in response, and her violet eyes went wide.

"Hold on," the strange man interjected with a surprised look as he stepped forward, "are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I must go," the pale girl replied without hesitation.

"Are you crazy," Iyo spoke up, "the Devil will spot you in a second and exterminate you!"

"I have to go," Mizore said with more urgency, as she had trouble containing her grief, "she's calling me."

"You can't go there! You'll-"

"Save it," the dark-haired man interrupted as he turned his head towards the simian-like creature.

Iyo backed up a step, a shocked and somewhat frightened look on his face. "But, but Diaz-san-"

"I know, I know," the stranger replied, a twinge of weariness in his voice.

"How can this be," the fire youkai asked with a startled look.

"I dunno, but I'm gonna find out. Sankui, you're with me."

"Yes, Diaz-san."

He then turned back to the others. "The rest of you, hold down the fort. And _no more brawls,_" he continued sternly. "Got it?"

"S-s-sure thing, Diaz-san," the humongous youkai replied in an uncharacteristically timid voice.

"Diaz-san!" a voice called out from the back.

The relatively unknown figure turned and saw a strong-looking man in a white karate attire, unruly sandy blonde hair and a very rugged countenance. Beside him was a somewhat timid woman, with long black hair done in a low ponytail. She wore a similar attire, only hers was black. "So what's your story," he asked of the newcomer.

* * *

Tsukune flew at top speed across the foreign mountain range, focused entirely on evading the ungodly fiend who'd intercepted him earlier. He would've been incensed that he still couldn't have defeated Colton, not to mention shocked at how and when he'd learned how to fly, but his overwhelming fear drowned out any other thought.

He looked behind him, and saw no sign of the ghastly being. No sooner than he did that a soul-chilling laugh came from before him. He looked ahead, and saw the unholy menace obstructing his path, his deadly scythe in his twisted hands. He quickly turned to the left and began descending towards the mountains. Once again, Colton reappeared before him with a sinister echoing laugh. He quickly stopped in midair, then fled to his left, propelled by his immense youki. Fifteen seconds later, the fiend blocked his path once more, which made Tsukune veer off to the side to have avoided his nemesis.

As he frantically looked about the area, he saw the mountain temple he'd noticed earlier. He quickly made a beeline for it, but when he got within ten meters of the old structure, he was repelled by an invisible force. He smashed his fists four times against the transparent obstacle, but to no avail. "A barrier, " he said with a troubled look, "no!" Before he could've acted further, he felt Colton's insatiable murderous intent behind him. He quickly dodged to the side, as the fiend's bladed weapon lashed out and struck against the forcefield.

Tsukune streaked across the mountaintops, and didn't look back as he knew his enemy was still behind him. Suddenly, the ghastly figure reappeared before him, his scythe reared back for a vicious overhand swing. The frightened youth cried out and instinctively stopped his momentum, as the otherwise fatal attack slashed before him, and chilled his very soul just by the sheer force of the weapon's trajectory. As Colton was still extended, the former academy student flew over his back, and kicked him for good measure.

The former academy student continued forward, hoping to have put as much distance between himself and the murderous spirit as possible. After a few moments, the mad specter materialized before him again, his scythe reared back for a menacing slash. He quickly stopped and backed up in midair before the oncoming attack would've cleaved him in half otherwise. The ghastly being moved in for another slash, which Tsukune quickly avoided. Colton reared back for an overhead slash, as a vicious inhuman growl escaped him. The brown-haired youth quickly charged his youki into his fist, and nailed his opponent flush in his skeletal face, which surprisingly stunned the specter. He landed four more blows, then drove both feet into his chest, which knocked both combatants back. Tsukune recovered first, and channeled his dark energy into the space between his hands, as a pulsating sphere of crackling youki appeared. "_**DESTRUCTION RAY!**_" he shouted, as he unleashed a huge beam of seething energy towards his opponent. Colton brought his weapon into a defensive position, and it took the full brunt of the attack. Tsukune saw him slowly being pushed back, and channeled more of his energy into the beam. Suddenly, the specter's youki grew tremendously, as evidenced by the eerie black aura that surrounded it. It parried the attack for several more seconds, as its scythe glowed with the same malefic aura. It pushed back with its weapon, which gave it some space. It then unleashed a vicious overhand scythe, which released a vertical cutting wave that cleaved the oncoming beam in half. Tsukune looked on in shock, aghast that his enemy had countered his attack. He tried to lean out of the way, but the cutting wave struck him regardless, and sent him hurtling through the sky, and crashing into a snow-capped mountain below.

The formerly human student groaned in pain, both from the attack as well as the crushing impact. It reminded him of the time he'd escaped Dracula's castle, though it was a very painful escape. He looked down at himself, and saw a huge gash in the front of his torso, as he felt his strength seemed to seep out of the wound. "No!" he said desperately to himself. "I have to stop the bleeding! I can't die, not here!"

"Tsukune," a woman's voice spoke from nearby, "in here!"

The brown-haired youth looked over his shoulder, and saw the mouth of a cave behind him. He struggled to his feet, staggered towards the entrance, and disappeared into the darkness beyond.

* * *

The formerly human student proceeded deeper into the cave, as the light from outside became more distant. He couldn't help but notice the stillness in the air, and wondered if anyone had ventured into the cave in recent memory. He felt no youki about him, but didn't feel safe as he was certain Colton was still behind him.

A few moments later, he'd gone beyond the area illuminated by the outside, and found himself immersed in darkness. After a few moments, his eyes slowly adjusted to the nigh nonexistent light within, which was frighteningly similar to the darkened part of Dracula's dungeon. He made his way through the darkness, and was privately amazed there weren't any monsters in the area. When he thought about how close the cave was to Dracula's castle, he'd expected monsters to have been crawling around every corner. And yet, he felt no malicious intent, which he found quite puzzling. He'd also found no trace of the one who'd called him into the cave, which he found even more puzzling.

"Moka-san," he spoke up hesitantly, and cringed when he realized how much it echoed. "W-where are you," he asked in a softer voice.

"Keep your voice down, Tsukune," a disembodied voice spoke into his ear, "just keep going forward."

The former academy student seemed less than convinced, as he wondered how Moka had communicated with him. Though as he thought about it, he knew there was nowhere else he could've turned. As his enemies had previously pointed out, he was truly alone.

"_Don't listen to her, Tsukune,_" a voice spoke within his mind, "_you know that's not her._"

The hybrid youth scowled as he recognized the voice of the Succubus Queen. "_And I'm supposed to __believe _you_,_" he shot back mentally. "_Especially how you toyed with me in my dreams! Don't pretend to be my friend, I'm smarter than that! You just want me to give myself up to Dracula, well forget it! I'm not going back there, not unless it's to kill him! And if you get in my way, I'll decimate you too!_"

"_Ooh, how feisty you sound,_" Lilith's seductive voice replied. "_I do hope you remain as such, it wouldn't be any fun if you suddenly went, flaccid._"

The brown-haired youth groan in chagrin, disturbed by the demoness' choice of words. Not to mention her words brought up mental images he would've rather forgot. He could've imagined her slender hands touching where they shouldn't, as well as her voluptuous body pressed into his own. The very thought made me instinctively cover his nose, as blood seeped out from between his fingers.

"_Hey!_" a second voice snapped within his mind. "_You leave my Tsukune alone you slut!_"

"Your _Tsukune,_" the succubus asked, and Tsukune could've pictured a wry smirk on her beautiful face, "_how amusing. I never imagined that usurper would've dared infringe on _my _domain, just who does he think he is, Lord Dracula?_" A sinister chuckle came from the demoness.

"_You will be silent, wench, or I shall erase your vile existence from this world!_"

"_I think not, precious, you shall have no part of dear Tsukune-kun, that pleasure belongs solely to me._"

"Stop it, both of you!" the formerly human student snapped at the two mental voices in. He quickly looked about, as the echoes continued throughout the cave. After a few moments, they died down, and he managed to slightly relax. "This is _my_ mind," he spoke pointedly, "and you're _not_ turning it into a battleground. If you've nothing nice to say, shut it!"

He heard a dual gasp within his consciousness, which told him they understood him perfectly. He then groaned in pain, as his wound flared up again.

"_Tsukune!_" Moka's voice spoke urgently. "_Here, let me help you._"

Before the brown-haired youth could've protested, he felt a strange energy wash over him. It felt somewhat like youki, but it had a different element that he couldn't have identified. As he pondered the issue, he felt the pain from his wound slowly abating. He looked down, and saw the gash slowly mending itself, even the blood seemed to retreat back into it, which startled the former academy student. After a few moments, there wasn't so much as a scar remaining, save for the old one Colton had given him back at the school.

He placed his hand on his chest, and felt no pain, no reminder of the ghastly wound. "Moka-san," he spoke to himself, "but how?"

"_Because of my love for you,_" the strange woman's voice mentally replied. "_Unlike Dracula's little pet, I have no ulterior motives. You know that, Tsukune. I won't let anyone harm you._"

"_Don't believe her, Tsukune,_" the succubus' voice shot back, "_you know she's faking it._"

"Shut up!" the frustrated youth shot back. At that moment, he felt a malevolent youki behind him, and he quickly ran deeper into the cave.

He continued forward, and realized the air began to feel odd. It didn't feel dank like he'd expected from a cave, he wasn't sure how to have described it, but the sensations he felt were unlike anything he'd felt at the academy. It was then that a strange resonance reached his ears. He looked around, and saw strange colorless light coming from an opening to his left. He quickly headed there, and saw a glowing circular pattern in the cave floor, with strange runic symbols carved into it. "What the," he exclaimed as he regarded the phenomenon before him. From all the movies, mangas, and video games he'd played, he surmised it was some sort of portal. "But this could lead me anywhere," he spoke worriedly.

"_Does it matter? They're still behind you, Tsukune, this is your only chance._"

The brown-haired knew it was a risk, and also had his doubts about the voice in his mind. However, he also knew she'd spoken truthfully, since Colton was still pursuing him and he couldn't seem to escape Lilith's seductive presence. Though he wholeheartedly knew where they would've taken him, so he stepped upon the portal, and soon found himself bathed in light.

* * *

Once the light receded, Tsukune soon found himself in a distinctly altered realm. He looked up, and saw a multi-colored sky above him, which flashed and wavered regularly. The former academy student quickly shook his head, as he'd heard exposures to such colorfully psychedelic displays led to epilepsy. He looked ahead, and saw a long grooved walkway, which ended around fifty feet away. Streaks of colorless energy intermittently shot through the grooves. He looked down, and saw an abyss that possessed the same confounding effects as the sky above. The aura he felt wasn't like the dark yet serene atmosphere of Youkai Academy, nor the foreboding malevolence of Dracula's Castle. He wondered if the sensations he felt were even of the world, or something outside it entirely.

Tsukune shook his head once more to clear his mind. It had become evident to him that he was within another dimension, accessible through the portal he'd entered in the cave. He looked past the walkway, and saw several small floating platforms which drifted aimlessly through the void. He saw a few that moved vertically, which led to large patches of land high above, as well as a few smaller patches. It definitely served as another reminder that he wasn't at Youkai Academy any longer. He sighed mournfully, as he pondered upon his missing friends, and especially the girl who'd changed his life forever, and for the better. "Moka-san," he said under his breath, and headed forward.

He made his way to the end of the walkway, and shivered as he looked down past the edge. After a few moments, a platform floated towards him. He quickly hopped onto it, and watched as it carried him further into the nebulous space. As it did, he saw a strange spectral creature, clad in a tattered robe with an upturned hood, glowing purple eyes that peered menacingly at him. It had maces attached to long chains that protruded from beneath its tattered sleeves. The visibly unfriendly ghost swung its bludgeoning weapons at Tsukune, which he feared would've knocked him off the platform and into the abyss below. He batted them away with his wrists and forearms, and he winced from each contact. He launched a right cross at the specter, but his attack harmlessly passed through it. He grunted in frustration, charged his youki into his right hand, and quickly released a short black laser at the ghost, which dissipated upon impact.

He looked back ahead, and saw a platform nearing him. He decided to take a chance and hopped onto it. After a few moments, he groaned as he realized it had taken him back to his starting point. Frustrated, he hopped on the first platform yet again. As it moved through the void, he ignored the first platform that passed by and then jumped on the second. No sooner than he did that the landing he'd just vacated vanished without a trace. The sight gave him pause, as he realized they were very transient in nature, and also had he remained, he would've plummeted to his death.

He carefully studied the pattern of the platforms, and then navigated them accordingly. After a minute or so he found himself on a walkway that sloped upwards, and turned off to the left. As he made his way up, floating purple spheres appeared around him, three times the size of his head. Miniature faces, etched in pain, could've been seen all over the surface of the levitating entities. Moreover, another spectral enemy materialized nearby, and immediately spotted him with its glowing purple eyes. Tsukune tried backhanding one of the spheres, but then cried out in pain as he felt his strength leaving him, which made him collapse to the otherworldly floor.

He looked at his hands, and saw a purplish aura around them, coupled with his lack of strength. The phenomenon made him feel like the weak human he'd been when he first arrived at the academy. "No," he growled to himself, "it- it can't be!" He was aghast that his power had been neutralized so easily. But before he could've collected his thoughts, a whirling sound reached his ears. He looked over his shoulder, and saw the ghosts spinning like a top as it neared him. Tsukune quickly rolled out of the way before he could've been struck. He then caught himself as he found himself dangerously close to the side of the walkway. He quickly got to his feet, and made his way up the suspended corridor, and took great care to have avoided the purple spheres.

Once he reached the end of the walkway, he found a floating platform awaiting him. He looked over his shoulder, and saw his enemies were well behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief, and hopped onto the platform. It took him to the left side of a somewhat large area, which also had grooves of strange energy running through them. As he headed towards the center of the area, another ghostly figure appeared before him, with maces extending from its tattered sleeves. It extended its arms to both sides and spun rapidly as it neared Tsukune, who barely managed to evade its oncoming attack.

He tried to charge his demonic energy, but found himself still depleted. He looked to his hands, and saw the same purplish glow from before. "No! Not now!" Before he could've formulated his next plan of attack, he took a crushing blow to the side of the head, which staggered him noticeably. He quickly shook it off, as the attack didn't have the power of a vampire behind it. He looked over his shoulder, and saw a second ghost had appeared behind him. "You coward!" he snapped at the enemy, who simply swung at him with its maces. Fortunately for Tsukune, its attack speed was slow, so he managed to dodge the assault. After a few moments of dodging, he noticed the feeling of depletion had passed, as his youki slowly began to return. "About time," he grumbled, as he ducked under the spinning ghost. He then turned around, charged up a sizable fireball in his hand, and then hurled it at the enemy. The vile spirit shrieked in inhuman agony as it instantly caught flame. The former academy student quickly threw another, and the ghost was promptly incinerated. He quickly caught sight of the second ghost, and unleashed a beam of black youki into the spectral fiend, which quickly dissipated upon contact. A dull yellow sphere of energy remained as it dissipated, which then shot forth and plunged into Tsukune's chest, which made him cry out in surprise rather than pain. "This feeling again," he remarked with a perplexed look, "what is it?"

He waited patiently, almost expecting an answer at that juncture. And yet he found nothing but silence. Growling in frustration, he went forth to the edge of the suspended area, where another floating platform awaited him. He traveled upon it, and it took him to a very small area, with a large upraised square platform in the middle. He looked about the area for a moment, and saw no enemies nearby. He then looked back to the slightly upraised dais before him. "Is this, a switch," he asked himself. Though he sort of knew he was correct, he also knew it could've been a trap. After a moment to catch his breath, he stepped forward onto the platform, which sunk slightly into the floor. He looked towards the previous area, and saw a new platform had materialized, which led deeper into the dimension.

Tsukune quickly headed for the new platform, which floated towards another walkway that sloped upwards, and veered off to the right. Several broken columns lined the new path, with sinister-looking stone faces upon them, which exuded an undeniable murderous intent. Some columns had more than one, which made them even more dangerous. As he cautiously made his way up the path, the visages actually rotated towards him and spat fireballs, which burned against his skin. Though when compared to the searing attacks of Kuyou, the pain they inflicted was inconsequential, yet he still found it irritating. "Annoying pests," he growled viciously. He jumped towards the nearest column and thrust his youki-enhanced fist into its face, which crackled badly under the impact. Another mighty blow completely shattered the lifeless entity. He fought his way up the path, destroying the stone faces that dared to assail him. As he neared the bend, the last stone face released a dull gray sphere, which promptly shot into his body. He groaned in frustration, still baffled by the phenomenon. "If only I knew what this is," he commented as he gazed at his right hand. "It must be power, but what good is it if I don't know how to use it?" He breathed heavily and clenched his fist, aggravated by the lack of answers. "But I **will** learn how to use it!" he declared to the alien skies above. "And once I do I'll come to _**KILL YOU DRACULA!**_"

He continued look up towards the sky, and awaited his enemy's response.

"_Then _come_, dear Tsukune,_" a familiar female voice cooed seductively in his mind. "_I eagerly await your, release._"

The formerly human student growled, as he struggled to ignore the innuendo-filled comments of Lilith. Yet just the mere thought of her name brought back memories of her nigh irresistible body, and how it felt against his own. A geyser of blood shot from his nose as he recalled how she hugged his hips, which made him stagger for several moments before he caught himself. "Enough of your games!" he shouted. "You won't stop me, wench! I'll kill you if you come against me!"

A dark chuckled echoed within his mind. "_Who said I was trying to stop you? But if you desire me to _come_, then I shall oblige you. I promise to see you're properly, satisfied._"

Tsukune screamed in rage as he knew exactly what she'd meant. He brought his shaking hands near his head, as he again dreaded the thought of Kurumu becoming like his enemy. An image of the cyan-haired girl appeared in his mind, moaning on her knees as she gazed lovingly at him, her eyes glowing a brilliant crimson shade. "_O Dark Sovereign,_" the image of Kurumu began, "_I thank you for your __blessing._" She wrapped her arms around the man's hips, much as Lilith did before. "_I shall gladly bring forth your divine progeny into the world. My people shall honor you eternally, and worship you for all time._"

Tsukune gasped at what he'd witnessed in his mind, his thunderstruck eyes going wide. "Did, did that actually happen," he asked nervously. He quickly shook it off, as he remembered the devious tactics of his enemies. "No, it must be another trick. I don't want to be worshiped, I just... want to be with them... forever." A somber sigh escaped him, as he realized how far he'd been separated from the others. "I can't stay here, I need to keep going, or I'll never see them again."

He made his way around the bend to a larger walkway, filled with the same purplish spheres as before. "No," he cursed under his breath, "not them again!" He hissed vehemently, charged his youki and fired a short burst of dark energy at one of the spheres. The unholy entity writhed for a moment, then streaked at blinding speed at Tsukune. "Whoa!" the youth cried out as he managed to dodged the malefic entity. He looked over his shoulder, and saw it turned around in mid-flight and headed back towards him. He quickly hit the floor as the sphere streaked over him. Once he looked up, he saw the sphere headed back towards him yet again. He rolled along the floor as the evil orb flew right by him. As he rose to one knee, he saw the sphere speeding towards him once again. He tumbled across the floor to avoid the oncoming foe.

Once he regained his bearings, he saw the sphere wasn't targeting him any longer, but aimlessly floating around the walkway, as it had before it was attacked. He looked to the numerous spheres in his path, and knew such a strategy wasn't feasible against all of them. "A short blast isn't enough," he remarked, "I'll have to take them out in one shot." He leaned back on his right leg, and charged his seething youki into the space between his hands. Crackles of ebony and crimson energy shot from the sphere of youki he created, which grew until it was as large as his torso. "_This_ should do it!" he spoke assuredly. "_**DESTRUCTION RAY!**_" He then released an immense beam of his youki, which blasted forth and decimated everything in its path. He watch as the beam vaporized the spectral entities, went over the edge of the walkway, and continued towards another floating platform, which disintegrated instantly. It continued forth and struck another walkway in the distance, which resulted in a huge explosion of strange energies.

Tsukune blinked repeatedly, as he tried to process what had just occurred. He saw the walkway before him was scorched by the beam he'd unleashed, and that he'd destroyed another platform as well. "Did I really do that," he asked with a surprised look. He noticed a couple of spheres hadn't been struck by the assault, as they were on the far edges of the suspended area. Yet they simply hovered aimlessly, and made no threatening moves towards the baffled lad.

Suddenly, a strange humming resonated around him. He looked about, and saw a translucent dome had encircled the entire area, and left him with seemingly no escape. "Shoot! It's a trap!"

"**Come forth, guardians of eternity!**" an echoing genderless voice commanded. "**Destroy the enemy of time!**"

At that moment the air shimmered in numerous locations within the area. From the disturbances appeared over twenty armored figures, whose shimmering silver plate mail had grooves of energy with them, much like the walkways of the dimension. Each had a broadsword made of the same otherworldly material. Tsukune quickly realized his predicament, and instinctively cringed as the knights began to advance on him. "Shoot! Now what do I do?"

"_What are you doing, baka!_" a familiar voice demanded. "_Get out of there, _**NOW!**_"_

The Aono lad cringed at the harsh voice of his close friend, not to mention a fierce grip on his lower leg. He looked down, and saw a patch of damaged floor by his feet.

"**HURRY!**" the voice in his mind demanded.

He quickly channeled his youki into his fist, and drove it into the damaged floor, which crumbled under the impact. He quickly dropped down the hole, and found himself on another hallway. He chose against looking over his shoulder, and raced to the end of the walkway. He saw a platform in the distance that was too far to have reached safely. As he impatiently waited for it to get closer, he heard a tremendous explosion from behind him. He looked back, and saw it had come from the same area he'd just vacated. "What in the world just happened," he asked in bewilderment.

"_I just saved for life,_" the mental voice of Inner Moka replied sourly, "_but that won't deter them for long. Keep your energy down or they'll find you again._"

"What?! You mean, those things are still alive?"

"_There's no time to dawdle, don't forget who's also hunting you._"

Tsukune sighed gravely as he knew exactly whom she meant. "Colton."

"_Yes, he'd be a fool not to have noticed that explosion. Get going, Tsukune._"

The brown-haired youth sighed in chagrin, as he realized his close friend was displeased with his actions. He briefly shook his head, and silently vowed to have been more careful. "I will, Moka-san."

He waited for the platform to have neared his location, and once it did he hopped upon it. On the other end he found himself at a small area, which had a large floor switch set within, along with a levitating brown pouch, which radiated an usual aura. He saw he had no other options, so he stepped upon the switch, which sank into the floor. He also took the pouch, and when he opened it, he saw he couldn't have seen the bottom. He reached his hand inside, and soon found he could've fit the whole length of his arm within the pouch. He hadn't an inkling as why the bag was bigger on the inside than its size suggested, but he was grateful regardless. "This will definitely be useful," he mused as he tucked it within one of the belt loops of his trousers.

He saw another platform, one that moved vertically, had neared the edge of the area. He hopped on it, and was brought to a landing above, which comprised of a long path, lined on both sides with broken columns. "Ugh, not this again," he muttered as he saw the familiar faces upon the columns. As he scowled at the obstruction, an idea came to him. "Wait, I know how to get past this." He then channeled his youki into his legs, and ran across the hall at top speed. The stone faces turned towards him and attacked, but were much too slow to have struck him. His superhuman speed carried him right over the edge of the walkway, which he realized a split second too late. He sprawled forward with a startled cry, and his hands barely managed to grasp a hovering platform which floated towards him. He breathed rapidly for several seconds, and then pulled himself onto his salvation. "Man, that was too close, I need to learn how to stop myself." A sweatdrop ran down the back of his head, as he envisioned the scowling visage of the silver-haired maiden who'd saved his life numerous times at the academy.

Once he hopped off the platform, he found himself on another winding walkway, framed with broken walls which had the same properties as the rest of the strange dimension. He saw more purple spheres that hovered aimlessly about the area, along with purplish skeletal dragon-like necks that were attached to the walls. "Wonderful," he muttered to himself, less than enthused by the obstacles before him. He briskly made his way forward, and the skeletal beasts became aware of his presence. Electrical sparks shot from around the maw of the closest undead creature, and it spat three consecutive lightning orbs at Tsukune, which the brown-haired youth managed to dodge. It then reared back, and rammed its skull into Tsukune's torso, which made him stagger noticeably. He growled in aggravation, leaped into the air and sent three crushing blows into the beast, which quickly crumbled from the assault.

He then moved evasively around the spheres, which had caused him so much trouble earlier. Though he was tempted to have decimated them, he knew that was what alerted the strange knights to his presence, and he knew he couldn't have afforded that. As he neared another draconic beast, he saw it rearing back, and quickly moved aside as it thrust forward. He briefly concentrated his youki, and unleashed a pulverizing double axehandle blow which crushed its skull. The rest of it fell lifelessly off the wall. A third skeletal beast immediately targeted him, and sent three lightning orbs towards him. He managed to avoid the relatively slow-moving projectiles, leaped forward and thrust his fist into its bony snout. He followed up with three more blows, which cracked and then shattered the beast before him.

He then made his way around the bend, and saw countless purple spheres in his path. He shook his head and frustration, and realized if he avoided contact with them, he'd be in relatively no danger. He sidestepped around one sphere, and then ducked under another. He then barely slid between two more of the deadly orbs, then tumble rolled under fourth enemy. As he avoided five more, he soon saw a body on the floor. He went over, and saw it was long dead, its flesh all but completely rotted away. It was clad in a charred protective shirt made of chain links, and appeared to have been male in life. By its hand was a long sword of foreign origin. He examined the body again, and found a sheath belted by its side, miraculously still intact. "What a shame," he said to himself, as he found himself shivering at the corpse before him. "Still, it's better than nothing." He carefully removed the sheath, and wrapped it around his waist. He then took the sword, which didn't seem overly special, and housed it properly.

The former academy student made his way down the walkway, which stopped with a solid wall after another twenty yards. He looked about the area, and saw nothing that looked like a platform. He tried looking around the wall, and found nothing on the other side. "No," he said worriedly to himself, "it can't be! Don't tell me I'm trapped!" He looked up to the alien skies, and silently pleaded for a sign, yet he received nothing. Discouraged, he sighed mournfully and looked to his feet. Once he did, he saw scratch marks before the wall, which formed a half circle. "Wait a minute," he said suspiciously, as an idea came to him. He pushed on the wall, which spun around and forced him to the other side with a surprised yell.

* * *

He found himself at a small area, with an ancient-looking throne situated in the center. The ruling seat was decorated with strange glowing runes which he couldn't have identified. Draped over the back of the throne was what appeared to be a long black coat. Curious, he reached out to procure the article, and saw it looked foreign in appearance and design. As he regarded the raiment, he looked down at himself and realized he wore nothing from the waist up. A bright blush crossed his features as he realized he'd been practically half-dressed since his arrival in the strange landscape. As he thought about it sooner, he remembered he'd been as such since the clubhouse was destroyed days before, which made him cringe. Without another thought, he quickly threw the coat over his shoulders, and slid his arms through the sleeves.

Once he'd fully donned the raiment, he felt the fabric of the sleeves, and couldn't have identified it by touch. Nevertheless, he sensed a distinct aura about the coat, which meant it wasn't an ordinary article of clothing. "What is this," he asked himself, "does this actually make me stronger?" He suspected it might've been the case, but quickly dismissed it. "No, it's still not enough. I need to become the strongest person alive, or I'll never defeat Dracula!"

On that note, he looked towards the throne, and remembered the nightmare where the fake Moka sat lewdly upon Dracula, which infuriated him all over again. His right fist shook by his side, and his rage swelled within him, as he was tempted to have destroyed the ruling seat before him. "_Keep your energy down,_" came the sharp words of his close friend, "_or they'll find you again._" He inhaled sharply, and realized his youki was beginning to flare out. He quickly got it back in check, and hoped none of the sentries noticed his presence.

After several tense seconds, the brown-haired youth felt he was relatively safe, and looked about the area. Once he did he saw there was no other means forward. He looked to the throne, and imagined himself upon it rather than Dracula. He remembered Shuzen on his throne when they first met, and the dignified air he exuded. He hummed to himself, and then sat upon the throne. As he did, he felt a distinct sense of importance, and wondered if that was how Shuzen felt.

As he remained on the ruling seat, he received a mental image of scores of monsters before him, all bowed in supplication. He was shocked by what he'd seen, as he never envisioned himself as a lord of monsters. "Wait a minute," he said worriedly, "this isn't what I want!" He then exhaled gravely, and considered the alternative. "But as long as fiends like Dracula live, they'll continue to attack me... attack, my friends." He seethed at the notion of being perpetually targeted by enemies, and clenched his fist in anger. "I'll never let that happen! I'll use this power to stop Dracula and anyone else who dares threaten us!" He then looked to his fist, and considered the power within him, one he still didn't fully understand. He then envisioned himself as imposing as the vampire lord, indomitable amongst the throngs of demons before him. "If this is what I must do in order to be with you," he said gravely, " so be it." He then imagined the silver-haired diva from his dreams upon his lap, clad in the low-cut black gown from before, her ample bosom pressed against him. A moan escaped him, as he envisioned her in her transformed state, which he found truly desirable. "Oh yes," he spoke in an aroused voice, "oh Moka," he went on, as he wrapped his arms around the imaginary figure, "my precious Moka." His hands rubbed down her exquisite back, and stopped at her full posterior. He felt his blood racing within him, and he opened his mouth wide and aimed at her pearly white neck.

Suddenly, he felt himself propelled upwards, which broke him out of his train of thought. He emitted a startled cry as he saw the throne had elevated beneath him, and brought him to another landing above. "What the!" he exclaimed, shocked by the sudden turn of events. He snarled in anger, aggravated that his fantasy had been interrupted.

He quickly shook it off and rose from his throne. He looked ahead, and saw an imposing set of double doors before him, with strange runic designs carved within them along with the frame. Besides the door was an ominous-looking priest statue, similar to what he saw at the academy. Situated between him and the doors was a large tablet, whose writing glowed an otherworldly shade of purple. He stepped before it and began to read the inscription.

"Before ye dost lie the Door of Fate. If thou seekest to knowest thineself, step forth and gaze upon thine reflection within the Mirror of Fate."

The Aono lad considered it for a moment, for he never imagined such a thing existed in real life. Though when he thought about what he'd experienced since he'd been taken from the academy, it seemed the concept of "real life" had changed significantly. He found himself in a foreign land, with people he couldn't understand and places he'd never seen. He desperately wished to return to his home, and his friends, and make sure such calamities never befell them again.

He stepped towards the statue and touched it without hesitation. As he did, he felt strange energy being infused into his body. He felt his fatigue being cleansed away, along with the pain from the injuries he'd suffered in the dungeon. Moreover, he felt his demonic strength being replenished, which was a welcome relief to him. "At last," he said gratefully, "now I'm ready." With that, he stepped forward and pushed on the huge double doors, which slowly opened with a groan that chilled the very core of his being.

* * *

He walked through the new opening, and found himself in a more standard corridor; with walls, a ceiling, and a floor. Though the sensations he felt were the same as the area outside. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the opening had vanished, which startled him to no end. "Oh no, I can't go back!" he exclaimed fearfully.

"_Then go forward, Tsukune,_" the voice of Inner Moka replied in his mind, "_there's no other way._"

He groaned for a moment, and knew what she'd spoken was correct, though privately he wished otherwise. He made his way forward, and saw the corridor went around a hundred feet, ending in an ominous-looking crimson door, with a skull emblem upon it. Tsukune instantly cringed, as he imagined an immensely powerful enemy on the other side. He then looked to his fist, and remembered the power Moka had given him through her blood. He remembered his vow to use it in order to crush Dracula, and hoped the battle ahead would've helped in that endeavor. With that, he pushed on the ominous door, which creaked open.

Tsukune made his way inside, and found himself in a huge circular chamber with a domed ceiling high above. On the four corners were huge knight statues, easily twenty feet high, with massive broadswords in their composed grasp. In the middle of the floor was a strange sigil, similar to the one he'd used to enter the dimension.

Suddenly, a forceful slamming sound echoed throughout the entire chamber. The brown-haired youth didn't look, as he knew the door had closed behind him. He then went forward, and saw a large mirror on the far end of the room, its frame made of a substance he'd never seen before, with indecipherable runes etched within it. His breath caught in his throat, as he soon saw the mirror had been broken, with pieces still lying on the floor. "What the-" he exclaimed, shocked and enraged by what he saw before him. "Who did this? Who destroyed the mirror?! Who dares deny my destiny?!" he screamed, outraged over what he'd encountered.

A sinister chuckle came from behind him, one that sounded eerily familiar. "_**Destiny,**_" a truly inhuman voice mused, "_**if you only knew what it truly held for you.**_"

Tsukune spun around, and saw a sinister being behind him, who radiated with an incomprehensible demonic aura. "Colton!" he exclaimed. "How did you find me?! Did you destroy the mirror?!"

The ghastly figure chortled in response. "_**You think too hard, child. I knew your path would've led you here, so I arrived beforehand and awaited your arrival.**_" He then rested his scythe on his left shoulder and gestured with his sickly extremity. "_**And now, your fate, is once again in **_**my **_**hands.**_"

"I'm not your plaything, Colton!" the former academy student shot back. "I'm going to kill you and Dracula, then _**NO ONE**_ will dare threaten us again!"

"_**So you say, but fate is not so easily determined. Many besides yourself have sought to challenge the Master, and lost their souls in the process. And you believe you can destroy Lord Dracula with the strength **_**he**_** granted you? Hmph, what folly.**_"

"You're wrong! Moka-san gave me this power, and I'll use it to crush Dracula!" He quickly drew his recently found sword and brandished it at his nemesis. "Get ready to die, Colton! And I'll send Dracula to join you soon enough!"

"_**Ludicrous,**_" the ghastly being replied in a bemused voice as he grasped his scythe in both hands. The rogue spirit swung his deadly implement at Tsukune, who quickly dodged out of the way. The beleaguered youth then got behind his enemy and slashed up his back.

Tsukune looked on, and became shocked as he saw his attack did no damage to Colton. "I-impossible!" he declared, incredulous that his superhuman strength had seemingly failed him. Before he could've recovered, he felt a familiar slashing pain from behind. He looked over his shoulder, and saw several miniature scythes floating about the area. "These things again?!" He slashed at the oncoming scythes, which were viciously knocked away. He then felt a limitless killing intent beside him, and quickly dodged in the opposite direction, as the ghastly being unleashed a vicious overhand blow which struck the floor where he'd stood. Tsukune quickly moved in and aimed a reverse slash at his enemy's skull, which was knocked to the side from the force of the attack. Unfortunately his enemy recovered quickly, and a low sinister chuckle escaped him, which served only to enrage the formerly human student. "Laugh **THIS **off!" he shouted as he channeled his youki into his free hand, and unleashed a massive burst of demonic energy which caught the manifestation of death flush in the face.

The specter's head was knocked back and it groaned in response, evidence that the attack had manged to hurt him. Tsukune emitted a rising growl as he concentrated his dark power, and then released a series of youki blasts at his foe. Unfortunately, the former Pierce Colton seemed to become translucent, and the blasts harmlessly passed through his insubstantial body. The energy bursts then exploded against the far wall.

The brown-haired youth growled in anger, livid that his attack had been ineffective. Before he could've planned his next attack, the spectral fiend nailed him in the jaw with the butt of his scythe, which staggered him badly. He instinctively brought up his sword, which managed to block his opponent's deadly blade. He then converted his aura into strength, and struggled to force Colton's blade back. A cracking sound was soon heard, and then he felt himself knocked to the floor. He looked up, and saw his enemy's deadly blade raised overhead. He quickly rolled to the side, and barely managed to avoid the fatal attack.

Once he recovered, he looked and saw his sword had been broken. "No!" he shouted in denial, furious that his weapon had failed him. He quickly cast it aside, and glared at his enemy. "I don't need a puny sword against _you,_" he snapped at the spectral fiend. "My power is more than enough! Feel it tear apart your soul!" he declared as he reared back and channeled his youki into his hands. He winced as several scythes lashed against him, but he ignored the pain and remained focused on the task at hand. "_**DESTRUCTION RAY!**_" He unleashed a huge beam of ebony and crimson energy at Colton, who became translucent again as he avoided the attack. The beam continued forth and decimated the remains of the broken mirror, and left behind a smoking hole in the wall.

Suddenly, an oppressive energy was felt within the room, coupled with grinding metallic noises. Tsukune looked, and saw the four huge statues had begun to move. "What the!"

"_**Oh now you've done it,**_" the spectral fiend spoke mockingly, "_**your recklessness has awakened the guardians of this labyrinth, much like the last fool who'd come before you.**_"

"What," the brown-haired youth asked with a confused look, baffled by what had just occurred.

"_**If you don't want to die,**_" the ghastly being beckoned as he gestured towards Tsukune with his sickly-looking hand, "_**come with me.**_"

"I'd rather die than go anywhere with you!"

"_**Fool, your stubbornness will be the death of you. Now come!**_"

The towering knights became fully mobile, as evidenced by the streaks of energy shooting through their grooved armor. They slowly headed towards the pair who glared at one another. One of the armored giants raised his sword aloft, and then slashed at Tsukune, who quickly leaped out of harm's way. He quickly scampered against the circular wall, temporarily out of their reach. No sooner than he did that Colton materialized before him, and glowed with an eerie crimson aura. He reached out with both hands, and Tsukune felt himself being pulled towards the spectral fiend. He channeled his youki into his legs and firmly planted his feet on the floor, which cracked from the pressure. As he struggled to retain his footing, another monolithic enemy had closed in on him and raised his sword aloft. Desperately, he leaped towards the spectral fiend and thrust his aura-enhanced fist into his face, which caught him off-guard.

Tsukune quickly put distance between him and Colton, and looked for any form of an exit. The only one he saw was the hole he'd created earlier when he'd inadvertently destroyed the Mirror of Fate. He dived for it, but then a strange translucent shield appeared before the opening, and Tsukune collided with the new obstacle and fell onto the floor.

As he looked up, he watched as the spectral fiend hovered over him. "_**Now do you understand,**_" it asked impatiently, "_**without me you have no hope of escape.**_"

"I don't need you!" the brown-haired youth shot back as he instantly rose to his feet. "I'll survive with my own strength, I have _**NO USE **_for you!"

The manifestation of death growled viciously, his aggravation clearly evident. Suddenly, a strange crackling sound was heard throughout the chamber. Tsukune then watched as a large sphere of otherworldly energy appeared around Colton. "_**What is this?!**_" the spectral fiend demanded. "_**Who dares try to restrain me?!**_"

The formerly human student looked on, baffled at what had happened. Then he heard the knight's heavy footsteps from behind, and knew they'd gotten dangerously close to him. One of them lunged at him with its humongous sword, and he quickly avoided it. Once he did, he saw the sigil on the floor glowing brightly, and dashed towards it. Once he got in the center the whole room exploded with light.

* * *

Once the light died down, Tsukune Aono found himself back in the cave, as the portal continued to glow behind him. "I'm, safe," he asked uncertainly.

"_Baka,_" a stern female voice spoke in his mind, "_that won't hold him for long. Quickly, use your strongest attack and destroy that portal!_"

The Japanese youth blanched at what he'd just heard. "Are you serious, Moka-san? That's way too dangerous!"

"_Do you want to be captured again, or killed by those guardians?_"

Tsukune cringed in response, and disliked both possibilities. He sighed heavily, and concentrated all of his youki, which formed a colossal sphere of seething dark energy. The whole cavern began to tremble as he poured more energy into his attack. A colossal ebony and crimson aura surrounded him, as he focused all of his thoughts and desires into the assault, especially his desire to be with the woman he loved, without fear. "_**GIGA DEMONIC MEGIDDO!**_" he shouted and hurled the sphere at the glowing portal, which resulted in a titanic explosion of myriad energies that consumed the whole cavern, including Tsukune himself.

* * *

The wintry atmosphere of the Carpathian Alps remained tranquil, as it had for the past ten years since the downfall of the infamous vampire lord, Dracula. People were assured that the threat had finally passed, and they could've lived their lives in peace once again.

Suddenly, a huge rumble came from deep within one of the mountains, and the entire peak exploded in a violent eruption of indescribably energy, which sent debris in all directions. The explosion raged for several minutes, and was heard for miles around. The entire countryside was shaken from the unnatural phenomenon, as wildlife fleed in terror.

Finally, the explosion died down, and left behind the ruined husk of what was once a majestic mountain. Lying just outside was the body of a brown-haired youth, his body blackened from the explosion. He coughed weakly, and finally regained consciousness. He slowly rose to his feet, and looked at the sight before him. He was confused and awed for several moments, but then it was replaced by a jubilant elation. "Yes, I got him! **I got him! **_**YATTA!**_" he declared as he leaped into the air.

Suddenly, the air shimmered nearby the figure, and from it emerged a silver-haired man in a matching tuxedo and trousers, a monocle over his right eye. The newcomer merely raised an eyebrow at the celebrating figure before him. "Yatta?"

The brown-haired youth finally turned, and realized he wasn't alone.

* * *

Hoboy, what has Tsukune gotten himself into this time?

"Wait a minute! You said Akuha wouldn't be in this fic!"

I don't recall mentioning any names.

"Oh, and who else would the 'Black Devil' be, huh?"

That would be telling.

"Author-san, you suck."

"What he said."

Sorry to disappoint you. Anyway, what will become of our lone hero in the aftermath of his um, victory? What's to become of Mizore and Kurumu as they head towards the Yuki Onna Village? Tune in next time for Part II Chapter XVIII The Power That Threatens Time

And before I forget; Yatta - Japanese victory cheer


End file.
